DUO Coffee Shops Respond to Poisoning Allegations

The DUO coffee shop chain has officially responded for the first time to numerous complaints from customers in Yekaterinburg about feeling unwell after visiting the establishments. All of the brand«s locations in the city, closed on January 20 and 21, are reopening starting January 22, but will operate in a reduced format with a limited menu.

The chain«s lawyer, Georgy Krasnov, stated: »The investigation by Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being) is not yet complete. The DUO chain and its suppliers are providing maximum assistance to the inspecting authorities — all necessary documents and products have been provided, and all instructions and recommendations have been fulfilled. The key point is that Rospotrebnadzor has no complaints against the chain itself or the coffee. At present, no violations have been found in product samples or in the health of workers.«

The company emphasized that they have not been provided with a single medical document that unequivocally confirms that the intestinal infections in customers were caused specifically by consuming coffee at their establishments.

It has also become known about a court case concerning one of the suppliers. The lawyer noted: «On January 23, a court hearing will be held at the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Yekaterinburg regarding the suspension of activities of one of the suppliers to the DUO coffee shop chain — LLC »DESKOM+« due to formal deficiencies in room layout and production control. This supplier provides the coffee shop chain with a small volume of individual desserts. It is important that no connection has been established by the investigation between the formal violations and the received complaints, and the supplier is not being charged.»

Recall that mass complaints from DUO customers in Yekaterinburg began to arrive in mid-January. People reported symptoms of poisoning: severe nausea, vomiting, weakness, and chills. On January 19, one of the coffee shops in the «Bolshoy» department store was closed after a visit by medical personnel.