Beijing's food safety watchdog has launched a two-week sanitation inspection of the city's restaurants, after two Beijing branches of a popular hot pot chain were exposed as having unhygienic conditions.
Videos taken by hidden cameras showed rats in the kitchen, a dishwasher caked with oily food residue, and a worker trying to fix clogged sewage with a soup ladle.
The Sichuan Province-based Haidilao Hot Pot, the restaurant mired in the scandal, said on Sunday that it will accept fully the suggestions and requirements after a dialogue with the city's food and drug supervision authority on Saturday.
The hot pot chain promised in a statement published on Sunday to make its kitchens visible to public inspection and scrutiny within a month, as required by the municipal food and drug safety supervision authority. The chain's sanitation ratings will be downgraded.
Haidilao admitted its management faults in a public statement issued on Friday, apologizing for the scandal.
Beijing Food and Drug Administration said the inspection will target both restaurant chains and canteen suppliers. Business licenses, dishwashers, sanitation equipment and measures to deal with pests and diseases will be the focus of the inspection.
In recent years, Haidilao has had huge success in major Chinese cities with its signature spicy Sichuan hot pot and highly regarded service standards. According to its website, Haidilao is currently operating in nearly 60 Chinese cities and has expanded overseas.
