April 8th News - Recently in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, a consumer ordered takeout from Dongda Fang's store on Fanjia Road in Hangzhou, only to discover a piece of fake fish fillet in their "Old Altar Pickled Cabbage Fish".
Mr. Li stated that initially, he tried to bite into it but found it too tough to chew, even tearing it with his hands proved futile.
Previously, staff at Dongda Fang's Fanjia Road store, when interviewed, suggested, "Perhaps it was cooked for a bit too long. Fish meat changes after being cooked for 10 or 20 seconds. It might have aged a bit."
Regarding the suspicious fish fillet, a professor from the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at Zhejiang University conducted an examination. He lit it with a lighter and commented, "This is not fish meat. It produces black smoke and a pungent odor when burned, more resembling plastic or PVC."
In response to the incident, Dongdafang, the official entity, issued an apology letter today, stating that following the incident, the company formed an investigation team. They retrieved surveillance footage, reviewed staff actions, verified inspection records from that day, and conducted interviews with employees to identify the root cause.
Upon investigation, it was found that the "inedible" fish slices were actually silicone molds used for displaying dishes as per the store's standard operating procedures. Due to operational errors, they inadvertently found their way into the ingredients. The customer service, without thorough understanding, promptly responded and apologized to the customer upon receiving their feedback.
Dongdafang stated that, in accordance with relevant laws and company regulations, apologies have been extended to the customer, the meal has been comped, and compensation has been provided. The operations of the implicated store have been temporarily suspended for rectification. Meanwhile, all stores are actively cooperating with market regulatory authorities in their oversight efforts.
