Yekaterinburg's DUO Coffee Chain Responds to Poisoning Allegations
The DUO coffee chain in Yekaterinburg has commented for the first time on accusations of poisoning customers. On 20 and 21 January, all establishments of this brand in the city were closed. However, from 22 January, all DUO outlets are resuming work, but in a truncated format—with a reduced menu, the company reported.
«The investigation by Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being) is not yet complete. The DUO chain and its suppliers are providing the inspecting authorities with maximum assistance—all necessary documents and products have been provided, all instructions and recommendations have been fulfilled. The key point is that Rospotrebnadzor has no complaints against the chain itself or the coffee. At the moment, no violations have been found in product samples or in the health of workers,» said lawyer Georgy Krasnov.
The company clarified that DUO representatives have not been provided with a single medical document reliably confirming intestinal infections specifically from coffee consumption.
«On 23 January, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Yekaterinburg will hold a hearing on suspending the activities of one of the suppliers of the DUO coffee chain—LLC »DESKOM+«—due to formal shortcomings in the layout of premises and production control. This supplier provides the coffee chain with a small volume of individual desserts. However, ready-made food (salads, sandwiches) were not produced by them. It is important that the investigation has not established a connection between the formal violations and the received complaints, and the supplier is not charged with that,» the lawyer noted.
Recall that on the afternoon of 19 January, medics visited the outlet in the «Bolshoy» department store, after which the coffee shop closed for technical reasons. DUO clients in Yekaterinburg began to complain en masse about poisonings in mid-January. City residents reported that after visiting the establishment they felt unwell: severe vomiting, weakness, chills.
Many city residents left reviews describing their symptoms. Here you can read the stories of the victims.
By the way, a coffee shop of this chain opened its doors to visitors several weeks ago at the parking lot of «Gostiny Dvor» in Ufa. Social media users reported that the establishment was closed on 20–22 January «for technical reasons», as stated in a notice on the door.
It is noteworthy that even before the opening of the establishment, disputes flared up around the building where it is located. The city hall demanded that the owner demolish the building.
