Starbucks "Formaldehyde Detected in Summer Carry Bag... Apologize for Disappointment"

Formaldehyde Detected in Summer Carry Bag Confirmed
New Goods Produced and Given... Three Free Drink Coupons Also Provided

Starbucks' Summer Carry Bag.

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] Starbucks Korea has acknowledged and apologized for the detection of carcinogenic substances in some of its Summer Carry Bags. The company also announced a compensation plan to produce and provide new merchandise to customers who received the affected promotional items.

On the 28th, Starbucks Korea issued an apology statement saying, “We are currently seeking comprehensive advice on formaldehyde from experts, academia, medical professionals, related institutions, and academic journals. However, since there are no standards for bags, it is difficult to interpret safety regulations, and we sincerely ask for your understanding.”

According to the formaldehyde detection test results disclosed by Starbucks in the apology statement, the outer shell of unopened Summer Carry Bags showed formaldehyde levels ranging from 284mg/kg to 585mg/kg (average 459mg/kg), and the inner lining showed levels from 29.8mg/kg to 724mg/kg (average 244mg/kg).

For products that had been opened for two months, formaldehyde levels detected were 106mg/kg to 559mg/kg (average 271mg/kg) in the outer shell, and non-detectable to 23.3mg/kg (average 22mg/kg) in the inner lining. Starbucks had previously commissioned a national accredited testing agency on the 22nd to conduct tests on five types and six samples of unopened carry bags (one each of Black, Pink, Red, Cream, and two of Green) and four types and five samples of carry bags opened for two months (one each of Pink, Red, Cream, and two of Green).

According to Starbucks, the formaldehyde standards for household textile products are set by the Electrical Appliances and Household Goods Safety Control Act (hereinafter referred to as the Safety Control Act) based on whether there is direct or indirect contact with the human body and the degree of continuous contact. For innerwear and mid-layer clothing, the standard is 75mg/kg or less, and for outerwear and bedding, it is 300mg/kg or less.

Starbucks stated, “Our Summer Carry Bags are classified as ‘other products’ such as bags that are not worn directly, cushions, seat pads, or curtains, and thus are not subject to harmful substance safety requirements. Therefore, no related standards existed, which caused delays in interpreting the significance of the test results. Regardless of the reasons, we sincerely apologize.”

Starbucks plans to provide newly produced merchandise to customers who completed the exchange for the Summer Carry Bag after collecting 17 e-stickers during the summer e-frequency event period. Additionally, if customers do not wish to receive the merchandise, Starbucks will credit 30,000 KRW to their Starbucks Reward Card online. Separately, customers who bring their Summer Carry Bag to a store can exchange it for three free drink coupons until the 31st of next month.

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