This undated file photo shows consumers shopping at Sam's Club in Xiqing District, Tianjin, north China. (Xinhua)

Sam's Club apologized on Tuesday over a reported food-safety incident, saying it attaches great importance to product safety and member experience and immediately worked with a professional pest-control firm to conduct a full - chain inspection after receiving the complaint. 

The incident drew wide attention on Chinese social media platform including RedNote after a consumer in Shenzhen claimed on Tuesday that a live mouse was found inside a box of mochi purchased from Sam's Club.  

In a statement sent to the Global Times, Sam's Club said that it consistently enforces stringent pest control protocols. A comprehensive review of surveillance records and warehouse monitoring footage - spanning product preparation, packaging, shelf-stocking, and order picking - has revealed no signs of pest activity or irregularities.

Upon investigation, it was found that the pickup location for this order is situated outdoors. Third-party pest control specialists conducted an on-site inspection and determined that the surrounding area contains flowering shrubs and trees, which provide habitat conditions for wild pests. Relevant signs of activity were also identified at the site, according to the statement. 

Based on a comprehensive analysis of pest inspection from the production and storage-transportation processes, along with the findings of third-party pest control specialists, it is preliminarily concluded that the product was inadvertently infested by pests from the surrounding environment during its placement at the pickup location, it said. 

The retailer said it has communicated with the customer and resolved the matter properly. It apologized for the disturbance and inconvenience caused, and said it will strengthen packaging management and delivery services going forward.

It happened after a consumer in Shenzhen shared a daily order experience online. According to the individual involved, on the evening of December 8, the consumer purchased several items via Sam's Club's "Speedy Delivery" service, including fresh milk, orange juice, and a box of 24 Member's Mark original mochi. However, when the order arrived that night in a silver insulated delivery bag, a mouse was found inside alongside the cold-chain products, according to media reports. 

The customer's original post is no longer accessible, but the case continues to spur heated discussion on Chinese social platforms. Some users expressed anger, accusing the membership-based retailer of being "careless and irresponsible," while others questioned whether the incident was overhyped. 
 
One user on Xiaohongshu questioned whether the incident was overhyped, noting that packaging for the same product in other regions is normally transparent and tightly sealed, making such contamination unlikely.

Another netizen wrote on Sina Weibo that the "shocking" unboxing shattered their confidence in the quality associated with Sam's Club membership, echoing concerns that the incident exposed serious lapses in quality control at multiple stages.


Global Times