STARBUCKS’ TOXIC GIVEAWAY BAGS

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Coffee giant Starbucks has sparked several controversies in Korea over the years and is now at the center of another dispute concerning its giveaway bag. The human carcinogen Formaldehyde was detected in the gift bags given out to regular customers. The problem is that Starbucks was aware of this before the promotion started.

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A Starbucks "summer carry bag" given away in a promotional event. The bags were given to customers who purchased 17 Starbucks summer drinks. But they complained about smelling a strange odor as soon as they received the bags.

[Soundbite] (Starbucks Customer (VOICE MODIFIED)) : "I heard there was a bad smell and there may be bad substances in it."

An employee of a research lab uploaded an online posting that formaldehyde, a group 1 carcinogen, was found in the bag, sparking a far-reaching controversy. Starbucks fueled the controversy by claiming that the bag is not subject to safety standards because it does not come in direct contact with the body. The coffee franchise belatedly decided to give three drink coupons for every bag returned. But the bags were not officially recalled. Starbucks did admit that formaldehyde was detected in the bag. But it didn't disclose specific figures. The problem is that Starbucks was aware of the possibility of the presence of the harmful substance yet went ahead with the bag giveaway event. Earlier this month, Starbucks noticed the bag smelled and asked the bag supplier to conduct a chemical test. The supplier claims that it notified the franchise company of formaldehyde detection during the event period, but the giveaway event was still carried on. The coffee giant had said that details of the incident, test results, and additional compensation plans would be announced Wednesday afternoon, but it was suddenly postponed. Previously, Starbucks had recalled all of its paper straws for having gasoline smell and came under fire for inconsistent quality of its sandwiches.