A McDonald's outlet in Zhengzhou, Henan province, is under investigation after a customer alleged an employee spat into a beverage.

The customer, Ms. Zhou, reportedly consumed most of the drink before noticing something was wrong. She later reviewed surveillance footage which appeared to show an employee making a spitting motion towards her cup of Coca-Cola.

Ms. Zhou has submitted evidence to local police and market regulators. The store manager initially stated the employee in question was only 16 years old.

When contacted, staff at the involved restaurant confirmed the employee had been dismissed and that operations were normal, with an investigation ongoing by authorities. McDonald's corporate has not issued a public response.

Legal experts noted that if the allegations are proven, the customer could seek compensation under China's Food Safety Law, which allows for claims of up to ten times the purchase price or three times the damages incurred.

Details of the Incident

Ms. Zhou stated that on July 12, her minor daughter picked up an online order from the restaurant and reported unusual behavior from an employee, including verbal resistance and delays in preparing the order.

After leaving, Ms. Zhou drank the cola and sensed an issue. She demanded to review the security video, which allegedly showed an unmasked employee leaning towards the drink cup and making a spitting motion several times. The footage also reportedly showed another employee witnessing the act without intervening.

Ms. Zhou found the store's explanations, which ranged from blowing on the drink to dispel bubbles to the employee being in a bad mood, to be unacceptable.

It was also noted that Ms. Zhou had previously filed complaints against other staff at this location over different service issues, though these were unrelated to the current incident.

Customer Concerns and Legal Perspective

Ms. Zhou raised several concerns regarding food safety protocols, including the employee not wearing a mask and the restaurant's refusal to show the worker's health certificate. She also questioned whether summer part-time staff receive proper training.

The incident has caused significant distress, leading Ms. Zhou and her daughter to undergo medical tests for potential infections, though no abnormalities have been detected so far.

A legal professional explained that if confirmed, the drink would be considered contaminated. Under Chinese law, the restaurant, as the employer, would bear liability for damages caused by its staff during work duties, and cannot evade responsibility by citing the employee's part-time status or dismissal.

Other Recent Issues for the Chain

This is not the first food safety concern for McDonald's this year. In early July, a customer in Wuhan reported finding a melted blue glove fragment in a breakfast item, which a child had partially consumed, leading to illness. The store attributed it to an accidental glove melt during cooking.

In May, a McDonald's outlet in Shenzhen was fined for selling food containing a foreign object.

Expansion Amidst Challenges

Despite these incidents, McDonald's financial performance remains strong. Its first-quarter revenue and earnings surpassed expectations, with growth driven by sales and franchising.

The company is aggressively expanding in China, planning to add about 1,000 new restaurants there this year. China is a critical market, accounting for a significant portion of the chain's global new store openings.

Analysts suggest that the core risk for McDonald's rapid expansion in China lies not in opening new locations, but in maintaining profitable operations and a strong brand reputation amidst intense competition. This requires excellent operational management, a resilient supply chain, and stringent quality control, especially regarding food safety. As the network grows denser and extends into smaller cities, management challenges increase, and any local food safety incident can severely damage the overall brand.