A food safety scare has hit a Japanese ramen chain once again. At Tenkaippin’s Shinkyogoku Sanjo branch in Kyoto Prefecture, a female customer discovered a cockroach in her ramen soup. Following the incident, the company has ordered the affected store and its franchise, Kawaramachi Sanjo, to close temporarily for cleaning and disinfection. All other branches have been instructed to implement stricter hygiene measures, and the stores will remain closed until the source of the contamination is identified.
According to Sankei Shimbun, the incident occurred on August 24 when a woman in her 20s ordered a bowl of rich-flavored ramen. She found a cockroach in the soup. The restaurant apologized, but the customer declined a refund and did not suffer any health issues.
After the discovery, the restaurant hired a professional pest control company to carry out a thorough cleaning and pest eradication. Under guidance from the local health authorities, the hygiene standards in the store were reinforced.
Tenichi Foods, the parent company, stated that the cockroach likely entered the soup during the cooking process for unknown reasons. The company has pledged that the affected stores will remain closed until the cause is fully investigated and all outlets will follow stricter hygiene management protocols.
