A bakery in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, found itself at the center of an online controversy after a mother falsely accused the store of selling unsanitary cakes, following an incident involving her young son.
According to reports, the mother and her child visited the bakery to select cakes and bread. The boy reached out to touch some unpackaged cakes on display. A staff member politely reminded him, saying, “You can’t touch with your hands. If you want it, I can get a bag for you. Hands can’t touch it.”
Rather than listening, the mother reportedly encouraged her son to continue, yelling, “Go ahead! If you want to eat it, take it yourself!” She later posted videos online claiming the bakery’s products were dirty and would make children sick, urging netizens to avoid the store and publicly naming it.
In response, the bakery shared surveillance footage showing the full incident. The video clearly shows the child touching the cakes after being instructed not to, with the mother actively encouraging him. The store said the videos were intended to clarify the truth and protect their reputation.
The mother, however, continued to insist the surveillance footage was fake and claimed the products had made her child ill. The bakery’s video has since been removed from her personal page.
Netizens largely supported the bakery, commenting things like: “Good thing the store had surveillance,” “The mother should reflect on her own behavior instead of slandering the store,” and “The child’s bad behavior clearly reflects the parent’s attitude.”
The incident highlights the challenges businesses face when unreasonable customer behavior and false online accusations can quickly damage their reputation.
