Popular Japanese cafe chain Afternoon Tea TEAROOM is appealing for customers to return items purchased at their Sendai City outlet, in the local S-Pal shopping centre, after it was confirmed that detergent had been mistakenly used instead of oil while frying a number of their doughnuts and croquettes on 15 June. The company has issued a formal apology, along with a press statement outlining details of the four types of 22 items which had been tainted: 5 Steamed Pork and Potato Doughnuts; 10 Springy Soybean Flour and Adzuki Red Bean Paste Doughnuts; 3 Cinnamon Doughnuts; and 4 Croquette Sandwiches.
According to the Sendai health clinic treating affected customers, 10 of the people they treated had complained of numbness in the tongue.
According to the report, five litres (169 fluid ounces) of detergent, which was placed next to the fryer, was picked up by accident and mixed in with 18 litres of existing oil when frying the food prior to the store’s opening on 15 June. Afternoon Tea TEAROOM is now seeking to recall any of the above-mentioned items purchased from the store on this date, offering a full refund to customers.