SINGAPORE - Ikea is investigating possible insect infestation in its sofa range after a video showing black bugs on a grey sofa was posted on TikTok by a customer. The video was uploaded by TikTok user Qierra Choo, who claimed she had bought the sofa in October 2022 and had noticed "tiny bugs" on the floor. After flipping the sofa, she revealed black insects and claimed they spread to her other furniture at home.

An Ikea spokesman said the problem might originate from supplier or manufacturer premises, shipping containers, ports, external warehousing or other areas. The company has launched an internal investigation, including looking into the packaging of the sofa range. The model in question is the Parup sofa, which comes as a two- or three-seater. The customer contacted Ikea on January 30 and the company resolved the incident with her on Tuesday.

Customers with Parup sofas who face similar issues of insect infestation can take the affected pieces to an Ikea store for a full refund or contact its customer service. The spokesman added that Ikea’s outlets conduct monthly checks and audits, and have pest control processes across retail floors, warehouses, restaurants and bistros, with no reports of insect infestation at the outlets.

Ikea Singapore has reached out to Ikea Global for support. This follows a previous incident in December, when the seagrass-woven Knipsa storage basket was taken off the shelf after a TikTok user alleged that six baskets she had bought were infested with insects. A check on Wednesday showed that the Knipsa basket cannot be found on Ikea Singapore’s website.

Source: The Straits Times