“Would You Still Eat Here?”: Viral Video Appears to Show Panda Express Worker Spraying Cleaner Above Cooking Food

A viral video shared online has viewers questioning food safety after appearing to show a Panda Express worker spraying cleaner above a cooking station. In fact, it's leaving some viewers questioning whether they'd want to dine at the restaurant or even order takeout again.

In the clip, several workers in typical Panda Express uniforms can be seen on the food line preparing meals for customers. But behind them, where the food is being cooked, another worker is cleaning.

Worker Appears to Spray Cleaner Above Active Cooking Station

In the video, which has since been reshared by X user @HistorianUSA1, the worker can be seen standing above the fry baskets. He then begins cleaning the top portion of the cooking station, where smoke, grease, and oil can build up, spraying what appears to be cleaning solution onto the surface above the fry baskets.

The video does not show where the spray lands, though some viewers speculated that mist could have reached the food or nearby preparation surfaces.

But that's not all the video captures. The worker isn't just spraying what appears to be cleaner above the cooking area, he's also standing on top of the food prep station while wearing shoes that have been on the restaurant floor.

And as he continues standing over the fry baskets, another employee can be seen reaching between his legs with a bowl of food and pouring it into one of the baskets. She then appears to lower the basket into the hot oil, all while he remains standing above the station.

The video doesn't provide much context or explain why the worker was cleaning while food was being prepared. However, none of the employees around him appear concerned or bothered by what he's doing, and instead, just continue working as if nothing unusual is going on. 

While the X user highlighted that the worker was wearing shoes while standing on a food prep station, one commenter wrote "The shoes are the least of the issues," before asking, "What chemical is he spraying above the food?"

Other comments echoed the same concern. "Did you fkn miss all the chemicals he's spraying all over the cooking food????" one person wrote. "...and the chemicals he's clearly spraying over the food?" another user added.

One viewer even said the video was enough to turn them off from ordering food from the restaurant again, writing, "@pandaexpress just lost my business, how gross." Meanwhile, another simply wrote, "Glad I don't eat that stuff."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the circumstances surrounding the video, including what substance appears in the spray bottle or whether the restaurant's food was affected.