Theborn Korea, operated by CEO Baek Jong-won, has apologized for the controversy surrounding the use of plastic containers in the coffee franchise brand 'Paik's Coffee' in microwaves.
On the 17th, Theborn Korea stated in a statement, "We apologize for the complaints that arose in the stores," adding, "This issue occurred due to a mistake by a new employee despite having a manual."
Earlier, an online community posted about the controversy regarding Theborn Korea's coffee franchise Paik's Coffee, describing how they received bread heated in a microwave that left the plastic container deformed.
The author of the post claimed, "I asked for the bread to be heated, but I received it all deformed after it was microwaved along with the plastic," adding, "When I inquired with the head office, they said the head office policy was correct."
According to the post, Theborn Korea explained, "We are providing the full product in the microwave because it is not made of materials that emit environmental hormones."
However, the product container was marked with 'PET', which became an issue. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can release harmful substances or melt when used in a microwave.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the use of plastic containers in microwaves is determined by the container material, with suitable plastics being PP (polypropylene) or HDPE (high-density polyethylene), while PET is deemed inappropriate because harmful substances can be emitted when used in microwaves. The photo uploaded by the author also showed that the container was deformed.
After this information was reported, the author deleted the post and on the 17th, posted again stating there was a miscommunication from Paik's Coffee. The author said, "Ultimately, it didn't make sense, so I called the customer service again and it seems that the staff misinformed me as the previous product was discontinued, and they apologized repeatedly," adding, "A refund for the product I purchased has also been processed."
In the statement, Theborn Korea said, "We confirm the related issues, express our repeated apologies to our customers, and have issued a refund for the menu item immediately," adding, "We have also sent a corrective request to the store and conducted retraining for all employees to ensure compliance with the manual."
They added, "We will take thorough measures in store management to prevent such complaints from recurring in the future."
Recently, CEO Baek and Theborn Korea have been struggling with ongoing controversies. The 'Paik's Ham Gift Set' released before the last Lunar New Year sparked debates over price and quality, while the 'Gamgyul Orum,' a fruit beer launched by the franchise Yeon-don Bol-Katsu under Theborn Korea, faced criticism for its insufficient content.
They also faced legal issues when they promoted 'Baek Jong-won's Baekseok Doenjang' and 'Hanshin Pocha Nakji Bokkeum' made with foreign ingredients as if they were domestic products, leading the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service to file criminal charges against Theborn Korea for violating origin labeling laws.
In response, CEO Baek stated on the 13th, "I sincerely apologize for causing concern to many people due to issues related to Theborn Korea, and I feel deep responsibility," adding, "I promise to promptly improve all matters, including legal issues."