Beijing, China-based Weiku has become embroiled in scandal after an investigation by local media alleged it sold seafood past its sell-by date.
Weiku, which also uses the English name “We Cook,” is a seafood supply chain company and service provider to some of China’s best-known online vendors. Xin Jing Bao, a tabloid published in the Chinese capital, sent a journalist undercover to report on the company’s supply chain practices, who took a packing job at Weiku’s warehouse in Suzhou. According to the subsequent Xin Jing Bao article, workers in the warehouse changed expiration dates on packaging of imported shrimp and used gloves for much longer than recommended under China’s COVID-19 control regulations.
Video secretly filmed by the Xin Jing Bao journalist and shared on the news site’s social media channels features warehouse staff discussing how they repackage and relabel imported packaged mantis shrimp to give it a longer shelf-life.
The Weiku warehouse in Suzhou has since been visited by inspectors from the State Administration for Market Regulation, the agency charged with upholding trading standards.
Weiku has described itself as a strategic supplier of live seafood to key e-commerce player JD.com and a “live fresh joint operator” of two other e-commerce giants, Tmall and YiGuo. It also supplies product to stores operated on the social media platform WeChat. Seafood, including Boston lobster and imported oysters, are currently listed on JD.com under the Weiku brand.
Some of China’s biggest names in venture capital, including SIG, Jingwei China, DCM, and China Creation Ventures have backed Weiku, which was set up in 2013 by a former journalist.
Photo courtesy of Unique Vision/Shutterstock
