Dunkin's 'Public Whistleblower' Appears in Person... "This Is My Workplace, No Fabrication"

"Placed on Indefinite Suspension and Job Exclusion by the Company"

'BR Korea' released the CCTV footage at the time, claiming that someone deliberately dropped a foreign substance into the dough. / Photo by BR Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Amid allegations that the famous franchise 'Dunkin' Donuts' has been making donuts in unsanitary conditions, the public interest whistleblower from the Korean Metal Workers' Union, Textile Workers' Union Dunkin' Donuts branch, who is at the center of the video 'manipulation controversy,' has issued a statement.

The Seoul Environmental Movement Federation, the SPC Paris Baguette Union Destruction Truth Investigation and the Labor-Civil Society Committee for Guaranteeing Basic Labor Rights of Young Workers (abbreviated as the Citizens' Countermeasure Committee) held a 'Press Conference to Accuse SPC Dunkin' Donuts of Violating the Food Sanitation Act' at 11 a.m. on the 1st in front of the Seoul Food and Drug Administration. The 'branch chief' of Dunkin' Donuts, who identified himself as the whistleblower, also attended the event.

The branch chief explained the reason for the public interest report, saying, "Although SPC is a major food company in South Korea, I felt a pang of conscience that the donuts our company makes could harm the health of citizens," and added, "Even before the new equipment currently in use was introduced, I continuously raised issues related to hygiene conditions, but no corrective actions have been taken so far."

He continued, "Please focus on the unsanitary production process," emphasizing, "This is indeed the production process where I work."

On the morning of the 1st, at a press conference held in front of the Seoul Regional Food and Drug Safety Administration in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, Kwon Young-guk, co-representative of the countermeasure committee (center), is holding a complaint accusing SPC of violating the Food Sanitation Act. / Photo by Yonhap News

Through his statement, the branch chief denied the company's claim that the disclosed whistleblowing video was manipulated and corrected the fact that some media outlets reported it as is.

He also raised his voice, saying, "The Food and Drug Administration already reported on the 29th and 30th that there were food hygiene issues and requested administrative measures from local governments," and added, "Instead of immediately apologizing to the citizens and devising measures to prevent recurrence, they attack me and the whistleblowing content as manipulation."

He said, "Looking at the cleaning status of the production equipment, the oil residue caused by steam inevitably falls onto the dough and donut production line," and urged, "Please take a closer look at how serious the factory's hygiene condition is."

Meanwhile, it is known that the 'branch chief' was indefinitely suspended from work and excluded from duties by the company after the whistleblowing video was released. The branch chief claimed, "When I went to work, headquarters staff appeared at the factory entrance and blocked my entry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.