Chinese beer maker responds to viral video of man urinating into brewery tank

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Authorities are investigating a video circulating on Chinese social media depicting an individual appearing to urinate into an ingredient container at Tsingtao Brewery, the second-largest beer producer in China.

The viral video: In the video, which has received tens of millions of views on Weibo, a man wearing a hardhat and uniform can be seen climbing into a high-walled brewery container at a Tsingtao warehouse before appearing to urinate inside. According to the beer company, the incident is traced to its "Brewery No. 3" in Pingdu, Shandong province.

Investigation into the incident: Upon viewing the video, Tsingtao Brewery immediately alerted police and sealed the batch of ingredients seen in the video.

“Our company attaches high importance to the relevant video that emerged from Tsingtao Brewery No. 3 on October 19,” the beer maker said in a statement, according to the South China Morning Post. “We reported the incident to the police at the earliest opportunity, and public security organs are involved in the investigation. At present, the batch of malt in question has been completely sealed. The company continues to strengthen its management procedures and ensure product quality.”

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Local authorities are currently conducting an investigation. It remains unclear whether the person involved was a company employee.

State-owned outlet report: However, the state-owned outlet National Business Daily reported on Sunday that the person urinating and the person who filmed the incident have both been detained by police.

An unnamed source told the outlet that the individuals were externally hired workers, adding that the video was shot outside of brewery grounds.

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“Once verified, we will handle this seriously in accordance with the law and regulations,” the Pingdu Market Authority told the outlet.

About Tsingtao: Tsingtao, which is known for its lager, is reportedly one of China's largest and most widely exported beer brands, holding approximately 15% of the domestic beer market.

On Monday morning, Tsingtao Brewery’s share price on the Shanghai exchange initially dropped by approximately 6.75% but later rebounded, resulting in a net decrease of around 1.15%.

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