Panda Express Addresses Viral Video Showing Employee Cleaning Over Food Prep Area

A viral video capturing questionable hygiene practices at a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Panda Express has sparked public outcry, prompting the restaurant chain to issue an official apology and launch an internal investigation.

The footage, recorded in early July by customer Paul Elisha Finger, shows an employee standing directly atop a fry station while cleaning the exhaust hood. Most concerning to viewers, the video appears to show a second employee reaching through the legs of the cleaner to drop food into the fryer while the cleaning process was underway.

“I could not believe my eyes,” Finger told Storyful. He described watching the man jump onto the fryer, where he then proceeded to spray cleaning chemicals and wipe down equipment while hovering directly over the active food preparation area.

The clip has drawn widespread criticism regarding food safety protocols within the fast-food industry. Following the circulation of the footage, a spokesperson for the restaurant chain confirmed that the company took immediate action upon being alerted to the incident.

“The behavior shown does not meet our food safety or workplace safety standards,” the spokesperson stated. “We took corrective action, conducted retraining, and reinforced safety procedures with the restaurant team and in the region. The safety of our guests and associates remains our top priority.”

This incident marks a rare public relations hurdle for Panda Restaurant Group, Inc., a culinary powerhouse that has operated since 1983. As the nation’s largest Asian restaurant chain, the company oversees more than 2,600 locations worldwide and prides itself on its history of “marrying authentic Chinese flavors with American tastes.”

While the company maintains that this incident was an isolated deviation from its standard operating procedures, the video has served as a stark reminder of the importance of strict adherence to health codes. For many, the incident serves as a chilling example of Panda Express failing to uphold the safety expectations customers have for large-scale food service providers.

The company has not disclosed the specific disciplinary actions taken against the employees involved, citing personnel privacy policies, but affirmed that regional management has been tasked with ensuring such lapses do not occur again.