Live Slug Found in Tea Prompts Taichung Store Closure and Checks Across Taiwan

Customer discovers slug after finishing drink

A customer who bought a drink at the Donghai branch of 八曜和茶 in Taichung at about 9 p.m. on October 18, 2026, found a live slug while washing the cup after finishing the beverage. The discovery prompted an emergency hospital visit, a temporary closure of the store and instructions for the chain's branches across Taiwan to check their hygiene practices.

The customer said the drink, sold as 蜂凝菌乳茶, was consumed within about 30 minutes. Ice remained in the cup when the customer peeled back the sealing film and emptied it into a sink. A dark, rounded object initially looked like half a plum. It then stretched out and extended two tentacles.

The company acknowledged the incident and apologised on October 19. It said its chief executive, headquarters managers and the Donghai store manager had accompanied the customer to hospital in the early hours of that morning. The business also committed to assisting with medical care and subsequent monitoring.

The Donghai branch suspended operations while professional cleaning, disinfection and pest control were arranged. Headquarters also ordered checks of ingredients, equipment, storage areas and drink preparation at every branch, including closer inspection before cups are sealed.

How an ordinary purchase became a hospital visit

The customer described buying the drink with dinner and noticing nothing unusual while consuming it. Previous purchases from the chain had passed without a similar problem. The discovery came only during cleanup, when the remaining ice and water were poured out.

The object felt slippery when handled, according to the customer's account. Its movement and tentacles then made the customer realise it was a living slug rather than a drink ingredient. Concern about possible parasites prompted the visit to an emergency department.

The customer also recalled a slippery sensation in the throat while drinking. That detail formed part of the account posted on Threads late on October 18. The company's response focused on arranging medical support and investigating how the slug could have entered the cup.

The sequence places the purchase, discovery and initial medical response within the same night:

• October 18, about 9 p.m.: The customer bought the drink at the Donghai branch in Taichung.
• Within about 30 minutes: The customer finished the drink and subsequently discovered the slug while washing the cup.
• Late October 18: The customer described the incident on Threads and sought emergency medical attention.
• Early October 19: The chief executive, headquarters managers and store manager went to the hospital to accompany the customer.
• October 19: The company apologised, announced the branch's temporary closure and outlined inspections across the chain.

Donghai branch closes for cleaning and checks

The company said the Donghai store would undergo professional cleaning and disinfection alongside pest control. These measures address different parts of the problem: cleaning removes dirt and residue, disinfection targets germs, and pest control addresses unwanted animals and the conditions that allow them into a business.

The branch's reopening will depend on completing checks, making improvements and confirming sanitary conditions, according to the company. Customers who normally use the Donghai location will therefore lose access to that branch while the work proceeds.

The route by which the slug entered the drink, the customer's examination results and a reopening date had not been announced. The company gave no timetable for its investigation or subsequent public updates.

Investigators will examine the drink's preparation

The company said it had voluntarily notified Taichung's health authorities and would cooperate with their investigation and sampling arrangements. Its own review covers raw ingredients, storage conditions, equipment and the steps used to prepare drinks.

Staff were instructed to preserve relevant records and review surveillance footage. Those materials could help reconstruct the cup's passage through the shop, from preparation to sealing and handover. Ingredient checks and examination of the premises are intended to identify where contamination occurred.

The review stretches across several stages because a drink passes through multiple points before reaching a customer. Ingredients must be stored, equipment must be maintained and staff must assemble and seal the finished product. The company's announced checks cover that sequence rather than focusing on a single task.

Taichung's health authorities have a separate role in examining conditions and arranging any necessary sampling. The company's account describes its notification and promised cooperation; findings from the authority's inspection were not included in the announcement.

Checks extend to every branch in Taiwan

Headquarters instructed all branches to inspect their premises, equipment, ingredient storage, working procedures and pest prevention measures. It also said it would follow up on whether stores carried out the required improvements.

The response extends beyond closing and cleaning the Donghai branch. Every location has been told to review the everyday practices that determine whether ingredients remain protected and finished drinks reach customers safely.

The chain plans to strengthen staff training and manual checks during preparation and immediately before sealing. That final inspection matters because a sealing film closes the cup before it is handed over, leaving the customer to open it later.

The customer's account shows why that last stage has drawn attention: the slug was noticed only after the drink had been consumed and the film removed for washing. The company has therefore identified inspection before sealing as a specific part of its corrective work.

Why the customer feared a parasite infection

Parasitology expert Huang Kao-pin has warned that slugs and snails can carry Angiostrongylus cantonensis, commonly called rat lungworm. People can become infected by swallowing the parasite. Huang also said mucus from these animals may contain it.

A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another organism. Slugs and snails can act as intermediate hosts, meaning they carry the parasite during part of its development. This explains the health concern when one is discovered in food or a drink.

Huang said infection can cause meningitis, an inflammation of the protective tissues around the brain and spinal cord. A sudden, severe headache is a common symptom. Other symptoms he listed include fever, nausea, vomiting, neck pain and stiffness. Infection can also affect the eyes and damage vision.

Huang gave an incubation period of about 10 days to one month, averaging two to three weeks. The incubation period is the time between infection and the appearance of symptoms. That interval helps explain why medical follow-up formed part of the company's response alongside the initial hospital visit.

A previous restaurant case offers a concrete comparison

A separate incident at a Gatten Sushi restaurant in Taipei in 2024 also involved a live slug found in food. In that case, the restaurant said its investigation traced the animal to red curly lettuce used in a sushi dish.

Gatten Sushi acknowledged that staff had failed to inspect the leaves carefully during washing and that the employee preparing the sushi had missed the problem again during assembly. The business apologised and reviewed its ingredient washing and inspection procedures.

The two incidents place attention on different products, sushi in Taipei and a drink in Taichung, while both businesses identified checks during preparation as part of their response. The lettuce case provides a specific example of contamination passing through more than one opportunity for inspection.

At the Donghai tea shop, the announced review covers ingredients as well as the surrounding environment, storage and equipment. Its immediate practical task is to reconstruct how this particular cup was prepared and identify the point where corrective action is needed.

What the company has promised customers

The company apologised for frightening the customer and damaging confidence in the hygiene of its drinks. Its response combines support for the affected person, work at the closed branch and inspections throughout the chain.

For the customer, the commitments include assistance with medical care and continued attention to health. For the Donghai store, they include cleaning, disinfection, pest control and checks before business resumes. Across Taiwan, headquarters has promised staff training, closer inspection of drinks and follow-up on implementation.

The company also said it would use its official channels to announce confirmed investigation progress and specific improvements. Those updates are intended to give customers details about what was found and what the business changed.

The next steps are practical ones: cooperate with health authority checks and sampling, examine the preserved records and footage, complete the store's corrective work and monitor the customer's condition. The company's public commitments now cover each of those tasks.

Key Points

• A customer found a live slug after finishing a drink bought at the Donghai branch in Taichung on October 18, 2026.
• The customer sought emergency medical care, and company executives accompanied the hospital visit early on October 19.
• The branch suspended operations for cleaning, disinfection, pest control and hygiene checks.
• The company notified Taichung health authorities and promised cooperation with investigation and sampling.
• All branches in Taiwan were instructed to review hygiene procedures and strengthen inspection before sealing cups.
• Parasite expert Huang Kao-pin warned that slugs can carry rat lungworm, with symptoms potentially appearing after an incubation period of 10 days to one month.