A restaurant in China faced trouble after offering a bizarre challenge of consuming over 100 dumplings in exchange for a free meal, leading authorities to investigate whether the establishment had violated the country’s anti-food-waste law. The restaurant, located in Yibin City in the southwestern province of Sichuan, came under scrutiny when local authorities were alerted to its “king of big stomach challenge,” according to state-affiliated news outlet The Cover.
The challenge involved patrons competing to eat 108 spicy wonton dumplings, known as chaoshous, with the winner receiving a complimentary meal and additional prizes based on their consumption speed. The restaurant had promoted the offer on social media to attract customers. However, an investigation was launched by the State Administration for Market Regulation to determine if the restaurant had violated laws surrounding food waste.
The Cover reported that this restaurant was among several others under investigation for similar competitions. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has previously expressed concern about food waste, describing it as “shocking and distressing.” In March of the same year, he emphasized the importance of agricultural supplies as a national security foundation.
In 2021, China implemented a law targeting food waste following criticism of online bloggers who live-streamed excessive eating to gain viewership. As a result, many of their social media accounts were suspended. The law imposes fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400) on restaurant owners who induce or mislead customers to excessively order, resulting in significant waste.
Television and radio stations, as well as online video and audio providers, face fines up to ten times the amount associated with the creation, publication, and promotion of content related to excessive eating and drinking.
The Yibin restaurant was accused by the local market regulator of engaging in binge eating and inducing customers to order excessively, as reported by The Cover. However, some Chinese internet users criticized the authorities for potentially overreaching in this case.
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