The fifteenth moon is full on the sixteenth, "plastic mooncakes" cause concern.

[4] Compiled from: Red Star News
 
Case review
On September 11, a woman in Suizhou, Hubei, claimed that she found a piece of plastic wrap in the first bite of a mooncake she bought from Bestore on a food delivery platform.

 
 

[3] The customer, Ms. Yin, stated that when communicating with the store, they offered her another mooncake of the same price as compensation, but she considered it a food safety issue and did not agree.

[4] In response, the store said the plastic in the mooncake might have been introduced during production due to raw materials, and the matter had been resolved through negotiation with the consumer, adding that specific details could be inquired from the company.
 
On the 12th, Bestore's official Weibo account released a statement mentioning that after receiving a customer complaint on September 11, the company immediately communicated with the customer and actively worked to resolve the complaint. The customer expressed satisfaction with the company's solution and has returned the product to the store of purchase to assist the company in further investigating the cause.

 

 
[1] Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China

Article 148

Where a consumer suffers damage due to food that does not conform to food safety standards, the consumer may claim compensation for losses from the business operator or from the producer. A producer or business operator that receives a consumer's claim for compensation shall apply the first-responsibility system and pay compensation first; it may not shift responsibility. Where the liability lies with the producer, the business operator has the right to recover the compensation from the producer after paying it; where the liability lies with the business operator, the producer has the right to recover the compensation from the business operator after paying it.

Where food produced fails to meet food safety standards, or where food is knowingly sold that fails to meet food safety standards, consumers may, in addition to claiming compensation for losses, demand payment from the producer or seller of ten times the purchase price or three times the amount of losses; if the increased compensation amount is less than one thousand yuan, it shall be one thousand yuan. However, this does not apply where the food labels or instructions contain defects that do not affect food safety and will not mislead consumers.

 
 

 
[1] The author's perspective
In the snack industry, Bestore was among the first batch of frontrunners in high-end snacks in China, which is reflected not only in its distinctive flavors but also in its persistently high pricing. Yet such “high prices” have not bought consumers peace of mind regarding food safety. In recent years, Bestore has frequently been exposed for food safety issues. On a certain complaint platform, as of the end of August this year, the number of complaints concerning Bestore’s food safety problems had reached over 1,600, with terms such as “moldy,” “plastic,” and “expired” appearing frequently.
 
Every Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncake sales soar, driven not only by people's love for this food but also by the transmission of culture. Yet this wonderful sentiment was shattered by a piece of plastic. Amid mounting questions and criticism, Bestore's stock price has continued to decline, from a peak market value of around 34 billion yuan at the time of its IPO to just 11.1 billion yuan today. Disappointment compounds time and again, and over time, Bestore has lost its original customer base—and with it, the support that a company relies on to survive.