Toilet water coffee? A Starbucks in Hong Kong was criticized this week for allegedly using “toilet water” to make coffee.
A series of photos were posted on the Apple Daily website, showing a man taking water from a toilet in the men’s bathroom. He then takes a container to transport it to Starbucks in the Bank of China Tower.
Raw Story reported that the Starbucks has been using water from the toilet to make coffee since the shop opened in 2011. Images taken from the website show a sign on the toilet saying “Starbucks only,” implying that water is just used for the coffee shop.
Netizens criticized the coffee chain for allegedly allowing toilet water to make it into coffee pots.
“Totally disappointed! The initial decision by Starbucks to use water from toilet is a clear sign of your company’s vision and the level of (dis)respect your company has for the health and mind of your customers,” netizen Kevin L wrote the Facebook page of Starbucks Hong Kong, according to Raw Story.
Ben Cowling, an associate professor from the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health, said that filtering water would remove some harmful bacteria but smaller viruses and pathogens could still seep through.
“If the staff need to frequently visit the toilet, they may increase the risk of bringing other pathogens from the washroom into their food and drink preparation area,” Cowling said, according to the Kotaku blog.
