Tsingtao beer orders probe after video shows man urinating into tank

A Chinese brand has launched an investigation after a man was seen urinating into a vat at a Tsingtao beer factory.

A shocking video which has been viewed tens of millions of times on social media shows a man dressed in blue overalls and a helmet climbing into a malt container at the beer factory in Pingdu, China on 19 October.

He then proceeded to urinate into the vat.

Tsingtao, which describes itself as the sixth-largest global beer maker and China’s second-biggest brewery, said they have “completely sealed” the batch of malt in question.

They said in a statement: “Our company attaches high importance to the relevant video that emerged from Tsingtao Brewery No. 3 on 19 October.

“We reported the incident to the police at the earliest opportunity, and public security organisations are involved in the investigation.

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

A Tsingtao source was quoted by Chinese media outlet Yicai that the worker and the person who shot the video were not directly employed by the brewery.

Originally posted on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, users have had varied responses to the clip as one joked: “I’ve always said the beer here is like horse pee. Turns out I was wrong.”

Others have jumped to the brewery’s defence, as one user posted: “I suggest the company takes this man to court and gets him to pay compensation for the damages.”

The company, however, also said that its production and operations remained fully functioning. “At present, the production and operation of the company are normal in every respect,” the statement said.

But the viral video has damaged the Tsingtao beer business since the footage became public, according to local media reports.

South Korean newspaper JoongAng Daily reported that several Chinese restaurants in the country were now seeking reimbursements for Tsingtao beer shipments. However, the South Korean distributor of the beer declined these refund requests.

“I asked if we could get a refund for the Tsingtao beer we already bought, but [the importer’s representative] said that’s not possible,” the newspaper quoted a restaurant employee in Seoul as saying.

According to Statistics Korea, China ranks as the second-largest beer supplier to South Korea after Japan.

After the viral video, Tsingtao Brewery’s shares experienced a notable decline at the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Monday but reports said that it managed to recover by the afternoon session. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where the company is also listed, remained closed on Monday due to a public holiday.