Panda Express Responds After Worker Is Seen Standing on Fryer While Food Is Being Made in Viral Video
Panda Express Responds After Worker Is Seen Standing on Fryer While Food Is Being Made in Viral Video
Jordan GreeneFri, August 28, 2026 at 7:58 PM UTC
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Stock image of Panda Express logo.Credit: Kevin Carter/Getty -
A viral video shows a Panda Express worker standing on a fryer while cleaning during store hours
Panda Express said in a statement that it addressed the incident, retrained staff and reinforced food safety procedures across the region
Health officials investigated and urged the public to report incidents directly instead of relying on social media
A Panda Express in West Milwaukee, Wis., is facing scrutiny after a customer’s TikTok video appeared to show an employee standing on a fryer in a food preparation area while spraying a cleaning solution on an exhaust hood.
The video, posted on July 2 by Paul Finger, has since gone viral, racking up more than 1.2 million views. It also captured another employee reaching through the cleaner’s legs to drop a bowl of food into one of the fryer baskets.
In the comments, viewers questioned why the cleaning was taking place during store hours, while others expressed concern about cleaning solution being sprayed above food and the employee wearing shoes while standing on the fryer.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a Panda Express spokesperson said that when the incident occurred at the location on Miller Park Way, south of National Avenue in West Milwaukee, in July, they addressed it immediately upon becoming aware of it.
“The behavior shown is inconsistent with our food safety and workplace standards,” the spokesperson told the outlet. “We took corrective action, conducted retraining, and reinforced proper safety procedures with the restaurant team and throughout the region. The safety of our guests and associates remains our top priority.”
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Stock image of Panda Express restaurant.Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty
Kevin Smith, an environmentalist supervisor for the Southwest Suburban Health Department, which includes West Milwaukee, told the outlet that officials learned about the video on Aug. 26 and quickly took action.
“We quickly responded to this situation when we learned of this, and Panda Express was very cooperative. We were able to investigate what took place, and help ensure that it does not happen again,” Smith said. “Additionally, we have not received any reports of anyone’s health being negatively affected by the incident, thankfully.”
Stock image of Panda Express store.Credit: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty
Smith also urged members of the public to report similar incidents directly to health officials rather than relying on social media to bring them to authorities’ attention.
“With social media being ever present and more convenient than ever, it is easy to overlook the importance of contacting the appropriate authorities as a means to help protect the public’s health and safety,” he added. “It is becoming common that we learn of these situations second hand, through social media or news sources, rather than being contacted directly. So, we encourage everyone to contact us when they witness these situations, and provide any information they have to help us follow up on these matters.”
on People
Source: “AOL Breaking”
