Tsingtao Beer Issues Statement After Viral Video Showing Man Urinating in Factory Vat

Declan Gallagher
·2 min read

Tsingtao has issued a statement after a stomach-churning viral video emerged last week which appears to show a man at the popular beer-maker’s Chinese factory urinating into a container of ingredients.

The video, which emerged last Thursday on Chinese social media network Weibo, was recorded at the manufacturer’s Brewing Factory No. 3 in Pingdu. It shows a man dressed in a blue mechanic’s suit ducking under a railing to access the equipment. He does a quick look around before unzipping and relieving himself in what is believed to be a vat of raw ingredients for Tsingtao’s brew.

After garnering more than 10 million views on Weibo over the weekend, Tsingtao sent out a statement condemning the man’s actions. “Our company attaches high importance to the relevant video that emerged from Tsingtao Brewery No. 3 on October 19,” Tsingtao said in a statement to South China Morning Post. “We reported the incident to the police at the earliest opportunity, and public security agencies are involved in the investigation.

“At present, the batch of malt in question has been completely sealed,” the company assured. “The company continues to strengthen its management procedures and ensure product quality.”

Tsingtao then added, “At present, the production and operation of the company are normal in every respect!,” the punctuation betraying a certain desperation on behalf of China’s second-largest beverage manufacturer.

Pindu Market Authority has also been investigating the situation since last Friday. “Once verified, we will handle this seriously in accordance with the law and regulations,” the agency promised.

Though it’s still unknown if the urinating man was an employee of Tsingtao, a source familiar with the matter reports that both he and the person who filmed the event have been arrested by local authorities.

Despite Tsingtao’s efforts to reverse the narrative, this latest urination incident may be one more reason beer is losing its popularity across the country.