In Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, a barbecue restaurant was caught by customers allegedly taking fallen skewers from a waste bucket and reselling them to customers, sparking widespread attention with related videos. The restaurant involved in the incident has been shut down.
On May 12, a netizen from Xi’an posted a video on social media claiming that while dining at Laoyi Barbecue (Shenglong Plaza) in Weiyang District of Xi’an, they recorded an employee taking skewers from the waste bucket and potentially reselling them to customers.
According to reports by “Lu Zhong Morning News,” the netizen stated that after the video gained attention online, the business contacted them to apologize, and issued an apology video. However, the apology video has since been deleted.
On the 15th, when calling the owner of the barbecue restaurant in question, they mentioned, “The market supervision department is currently investigating this matter, and we have nothing more to disclose at this time.”
Waste water, more commonly known as swill in northern China, refers to collected kitchen waste. Essentially, it includes leftover food such as rice and vegetables that can be recycled for further use.
Due to the complex composition of swill, it is prone to spoilage and contamination by pathogenic microorganisms. In the past, swill was often used as feed for livestock (especially pigs, known as “swill pigs”). However, due to the risks of food safety and animal disease transmission, many places have prohibited or strictly limited this practice.
Today, the treatment of swill tends to lean towards resource recycling, such as composting.
Regarding this incident, some netizens expressed outrage towards the unethical behavior of the barbecue restaurant.
“Red Star News” reported on May 16 that the Market Supervision Administration of Weiyang District in Xi’an issued a situation report on the case: recently, in response to netizens reporting “Laoyi Barbecue (Shenglong Store) having food violations,” the bureau mobilized enforcement personnel to conduct investigations and actions at the implicated store.
The implicated store has been ordered to suspend operations for rectification. Upon investigation, the violation by the implicated entity has been confirmed, leading to a decision to confiscate illegal profits and impose fines.