Two 17-year-olds urinated in a broth at a Shanghai branch of China’s biggest hotpot chain last month
A restaurant was forced to compensate 4,000 diners after two teenagers filmed themselves urinating into a hotpot broth.
When you head out for a meal, all you want is to enjoy your food in peace and comfort. You expect top-notch hygiene, quality dishes, and courteous behavior from fellow diners. But what happens when two people do something unexpected, and it stays unnoticed—until a video goes viral?
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what occurred last month in a private room at a Shanghai branch of Haidilao, China’s largest hotpot chain.
A viral video captured the shocking moment when two 17-year-old boys were filmed urinating into a hotpot broth while standing on the table. The footage quickly spread online, sparking outrage, and Haidilao has since promised to compensate the 4,000 diners affected by the incident.
Typically, the ingredients in Haidilao’s signature spicy broth include soybean oil, chili, bean sauce, salt, Chinese prickly ash, pickled pepper, pickled ginger, sugar, garlic, spices, onion, fermented black bean, and edible essence.
Sadly, urine was the unexpected addition to the mix, and it exposed a serious lapse in hygiene standards, which Haidilao attributed to “staff training.” The fallout from the incident has left many questioning the chain’s commitment to customer safety and cleanliness.
In response to the shocking incident, Haidilao has issued a public apology, confirming that all hotpots and dining utensils at the Shanghai branch were replaced once the video went viral.
The restaurant chain addressed the situation on social media, stating: “In the early hours of February 24, two men urinated into a hotpot after dining in a private room at a Haidilao branch on the Bund in Shanghai.
“As management had never made contingency plans or provided training for dealing with this type of incident, staff at our branch were unable to detect any abnormalities or maintain the safety of the dining environment.”
Haidilao continued, “We fully understand that the distress caused to our customers by this incident cannot be fully compensated for by any means, but we will do our utmost to take responsibility.” To make amends, the company is offering full refunds and cash compensation to all customers who dined at the branch between February 24 and March 8. Customers will receive 10 times the amount they paid for their meals as part of the reimbursement.
Reports from Shanghai police suggest that the teenage culprits were drunk at the time, and they have since been arrested. However, it remains unclear whether the hotpot was disinfected after the disturbing act. The incident has raised serious concerns about hygiene and customer safety at the popular chain.
If the hotpot wasn’t disinfected, it could pose significant health risks for anyone who unknowingly ingests urine.
Urine contains waste products filtered by our kidneys, which can be harmful if consumed. Although Urophagia—the practice of consuming urine—has existed for centuries, with some ancient cultures using it for purported health, healing, and cosmetic benefits, it is not commonly practiced today.
Urine is high in sodium, which not only makes you thirstier but can also lead to dehydration if consumed. Given these risks, the lack of proper sanitation after such an incident raises serious concerns about food safety and public health.
