Haagen-Dazs outlet probed for glass pieces in ice cream

THE Xuhui District market watchdog is investigating claims that a customer at a Haagen-Dazs outlet was allegedly served ice cream that contained broken glass pieces.

The customer, a woman surnamed Guo, had ordered a spring season set menu, priced 248 yuan (US$39), at the Metro City department store in Xujiahui on Saturday. Guo said she bit something while having the raspberry sorbetto ice cream.

“I chewed something hard because I thought it was ice, but I suddenly started bleeding from the mouth,” she said.

As the bleeding wouldn’t stop, the manager hailed a taxi and rushed Guo to the hospital, the Shanghai Morning Post reported. She was diagnosed with laceration of tongue.

The cut was about three millimeters, the hospital said. Haagen-Dazs paid the hospital bill.

“I thought I was bleeding after biting glass,” Guo said, adding that after she had a bite of the ice cream she hurt her tongue, gum and esophagus. She posted photos of her bloodied mouth and tissues on Weibo.

Guo is demanding 10,000 yuan in compensation from Haagen-Dazs. Her husband said the amount was to cover expenses for gastroscope and enteroscopy. Guo only received a 200 yuan coupon from Haagen-Dazs.

Haagen-Dazs said it stopped selling the raspberry sorbetto ice cream at the outlet after the incident. It also said it did not find any broken dishware and glass cups.

There was no report of missing or broken glassware in its monthly record as well.

Doctors also did not find glass or any foreign particles in Guo’s mouth, Haagen-Dazs claimed.

The Xuhui District Market Supervision and Management Bureau said it was investigating and did not comment.