The Suzhou market supervision bureau has said that food safety issues were identified at 18 Starbucks stores in the eastern Chinese city, reports Reuters. The announcement comes a day after the US chain faced criticism for violations at two outlets in nearby Wuxi.
The bureau said it found issues at the Suzhou stores, including “irregular” sales and purchase records, uncovered trash bins, and employees working without masks. It ordered them to make immediate rectifications, adding that the remaining 208 stores it investigated in the city were compliant with food safety requirements.
Starbucks had late on Monday apologized for the violations at its Wuxi stores and said it would carry out inspections and staff training across its over 5,000 stores in China. Its stores in Wuxi were also subject to inspections from the local government after the news report.