Sam’s Club, the US supermarket giant, is under investigation after a customer found a human tooth inside a mooncake purchased from one of their stores in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The incident was first brought to light when the woman shared a video on Douyin, revealing the tooth embedded in the 30-yuan (US$4) meat-filled mooncake.
According to the woman, the tooth did not belong to any of her family members, prompting her to report the case to the police. A Sam’s Club employee in Changzhou confirmed that the company had launched an investigation.
The manufacturer of the mooncake, however, expressed disbelief. Speaking to Hongxing News, a spokesperson, Liu, explained, “It is impossible for a tooth to have been mixed into the meat filling,” since the meat is thoroughly minced and inspected by an X-ray system designed to detect bone fragments. Liu also stated that no similar incidents had occurred in over ten years.
In response, the manufacturer shared security footage with Sam’s Club and the local market regulation department, who are also investigating the matter. The Changzhou government department has confirmed that they are involved in the ongoing inquiry.
In a similar, earlier incident, an Indian woman, Mayadevi Gupta from Madhya Pradesh, discovered four dentures hidden inside a chocolate she had received at a child’s birthday party. Gupta told India Today, “I got a coffee-flavoured chocolate of a popular brand. After eating it, I felt something crunchy. Upon further inspection, I realized it was a set of false teeth.” She later filed a complaint with the district food and drug department in Khargone.