Auntie Anne's MY brand sentiments in a knot after employee kisses dough

Pretzel chain Auntie Anne's Malaysia's brand sentiments have dipped after photos of its employee at the Mid Valley Megamall outlet went viral. In the viral photos, the employee was seen kissing and sniffing raw pretzel dough at the outlet. According to media intelligence firm CARMA, the brand's sentiments currently stand at 2.6% positive and 16.2% negative. It was previously 56.8% positive and 2.7% negative. 

In addition, analysis by media intelligence firm Truescope found that the incident, which peaked in social engagement on 8 October with 7.873K interactions, sparked discussions among netizens about food hygiene and the need for strict adherence to safety standards in the food service industry.

In fact, many users expressed their disgust with reactions, highlighting the shocking nature of the employee's behaviour, said Truescope. Genuine concerns about food safety were raised, with users questioning how such a breach of hygiene could happen in a food establishment.

Don't miss: Auntie Anne's MY addresses viral photos of employee kissing pretzel dough

There were also commenters who held Auntie Anne's management partially responsible, suggesting a lack of proper oversight. This led to concerns about hiring practices and corporate responsibility in maintaining food safety and hygiene standards, according to Truescope. 

Meanwhile, there were netizens who took a light-hearted approach to the matter, using humour to mock the incident. Puns and jokes about "love", "kissing dough" and romantic behaviour toward food were common as users sought to make light of the bizzare event. 

Prior to the incident, Auntie Anne's Malaysia's word cloud included words such as 'business', 'pretzel', as well as mentions of other well-known brands in Malaysia including 'Zus', 'Tealive' and 'Chatime', according to CARMA. 

However, after the incident, Auntie Anne's Malaysia's word cloud included terms such as 'worker chef's kiss', 'thorough disinfection' and 'drama', according to media intelligence firm Meltwater. 

Following the incident, Auntie Anne's Malaysia released a statement addressing the concerns of consumers and netizens. In its statement, the brand clarified that the staff, who has been identified as Alice Chang, has been terminated. It added that the outlet at Mid Valley Megamall will be closed temporarily for thorough disinfection and cleaning too. 

"At Auntie Anne's Malaysia, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of hygiene and safety for our customers and staff. We do not condone or tolerate any actions that compromise these standards," said Auntie Anne's. 

"As part of our proactive measures, the outlet in question will be temporarily closed for thorough disinfection and cleaning. The outlet will reopen once the disinfection process is completed and all necessary safety protocols are confirmed," it added. 

Auntie Anne's Malaysia is not the only food chain which gained public attention following the acts of its employees. Earlier in June this year, A&W Malaysia found itself in the middle of a cultural sensitivity debate after an employee handed an Indian customer a free beef burger. 

In a video posted on X, the customer, who is Indian and practices Hinduism, ordered six chicken burgers and received an unexpected free beef burger. The customer, who abstains from eating beef as per the religion's practice, had unknowingly consumed the beef burger. 

The video saw a split in comments coming in with some netizens stating that the staff should have informed the customer about the free beef burger and considered the cultural and religious implications.

Other users have come to A&W defense, highlighting that not all Indians are Hindus who abstain from consuming beef. Despite the varying opinions, there were social media users who voiced that A&W should issue a public apology.

Photo courtesy Auntie Anne's Malaysia, Facebook 

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