Theborn Korea, operated by CEO Baek Jong-won, is back in the spotlight after the ‘pesticide juice’ controversy and questions over using plastic containers in microwaves.
On the 16th, a post appeared on an online community claiming that bread stored in plastic containers was heated in a microwave at a franchise owned by Theborn Korea.
The author of the post claimed, "I asked to heat the bread, but I received it all squished after heating it with the plastic in the microwave," adding, "I contacted the headquarters and they said it was their policy."
According to the post, Theborn Korea explained, "Since it is not made of materials that release environmental hormones, we are providing it heated in the microwave as a whole."
However, the product containers were marked with 'PET,' which raised concerns, as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) may release harmful substances or melt when used in microwaves.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the use of plastic containers is determined based on their materials, and microwavable plastics are PP (polypropylene) or HDPE (high-density polyethylene), while PET is deemed inappropriate due to potential harmful substance emissions when microwaved.
After this information surfaced, the author deleted the initial post and on the 17th posted again stating there had been incorrect guidance from the franchise. The author wrote, "It didn't make sense, so I called the customer service again and the staff apologized, saying it seems they misinformed me as the previous product was discontinued," adding that a refund for the purchased product was processed.
Recently, CEO Baek's Theborn Korea has been embroiled in continuous controversies. The 'Bbaekham gift set' launched ahead of the recent holidays sparked issues regarding its price and quality, while the franchise Yeondon Volcarts under Theborn Korea faced criticism over the insufficient content of its fruit beer 'Grapefruit Orem.'
Theborn Korea has also been criminally charged by the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service for promoting the origins of 'Baek Jong-won's Baeksuk Doenjang' and 'Hanshin Pocha Nakji Bokkeum' as domestic products when they were made with foreign ingredients.
Consequently, on the 13th, CEO Baek stated, "I sincerely apologize for causing concern to many due to the issues related to Theborn Korea, and I feel a deep sense of responsibility," promising to quickly improve all matters including legal ones.