Beijing (AP): McDonald's and KFC in China faced a new food safety scare Monday after a Shanghai television station reported a supplier sold them expired beef and chicken.
The companies said they immediately stopped using meat from the company, Husi Food Co., Ltd. The official Xinhua News Agency said authorities ordered the supplier to suspend operations and were investigating.
Dragon TV said Sunday that Husi, owned by OSI Group of Aurora, Illinois, repackaged stale beef and chicken and put new expiration dates on them. It said they were sold to McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants.
The report added to a series of food safety scares in China that have battered public confidence in dairies, fast food outlets and other suppliers.
McDonald's Corp. and Yum Brands Inc., which owns KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, said in separate statements they were conducting their own investigations.
"Food safety is a top priority for McDonald's," the company said on its microblog account. The company said it pursues "strict compliance" with consumer safety laws and regulations and has "zero tolerance for illegal behavior."
A third company, sandwich shop chain Dicos, said in a statement it stopped using sausage patties supplied by Husi. Dicos is owned by Taiwan's Ting Hsin International Group and the company website said it had 2,000 outlets in China as of September 2013.
Phone calls to the Shanghai office of the food and drug regulator were not answered.
A woman who answered the phone at Husi's headquarters said no one was available to comment. The official Xinhua News Agency cited a company manager, Yang Liqun, who said Husi has a strict quality control system and will cooperate in the investigation.
KFC is China's biggest restaurant chain, with more than 4,000 outlets and plans to open 700 more this year.
The company was badly hurt after state television reported in December 2013 that some poultry suppliers violated rules on drug use in chickens. Yum said KFC sales in China plunged 37 percent the following month. KFC launched an effort to tighten control over product quality and eliminated more than 1,000 small poultry producers from its supply network.
China has suffered a string of product scandals over the past decade in which infants, hospital patients and others have been killed by phony or adulterated milk powder, drugs and other goods.
Foreign fast food brands are seen as more reliable than Chinese competitors, though local brands have made big improvements in quality.
The high profile of foreign brands means any complaints involving them attract attention, while their status as foreign companies with less political influence means Chinese media can publicize their troubles more freely.
Scandal-weary consumers on Monday expressed mixed feelings.
Chen Lu, 24, an employee of an Internet company, was eating a chicken burger and fries at a McDonald's in central Shanghai that was half-empty at midday, a time when most restaurants are crowded.
"My boyfriend called and told me not to eat McDonald's one minute after I ordered this chicken hamburger, but what can I do? I've already ordered and I am in a hurry," she said.
"I am worried about my health," she said. "I will try to avoid it, at least for a while. I am pretty disappointed in this brand."
Another diner, Liu Kun, a 24-year-old student from Nanjing who was visiting Shanghai, said he was unconcerned.
"The incident won't change me eating here," said Liu. "There have been negative reports all the time, McDonald and KFC are the leaders in the industry." AP
The companies said they immediately stopped using meat from the company, Husi Food Co., Ltd. The official Xinhua News Agency said authorities ordered the supplier to suspend operations and were investigating.
Dragon TV said Sunday that Husi, owned by OSI Group of Aurora, Illinois, repackaged stale beef and chicken and put new expiration dates on them. It said they were sold to McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants.
The report added to a series of food safety scares in China that have battered public confidence in dairies, fast food outlets and other suppliers.
McDonald's Corp. and Yum Brands Inc., which owns KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, said in separate statements they were conducting their own investigations.
"Food safety is a top priority for McDonald's," the company said on its microblog account. The company said it pursues "strict compliance" with consumer safety laws and regulations and has "zero tolerance for illegal behavior."
A third company, sandwich shop chain Dicos, said in a statement it stopped using sausage patties supplied by Husi. Dicos is owned by Taiwan's Ting Hsin International Group and the company website said it had 2,000 outlets in China as of September 2013.
Phone calls to the Shanghai office of the food and drug regulator were not answered.
A woman who answered the phone at Husi's headquarters said no one was available to comment. The official Xinhua News Agency cited a company manager, Yang Liqun, who said Husi has a strict quality control system and will cooperate in the investigation.
KFC is China's biggest restaurant chain, with more than 4,000 outlets and plans to open 700 more this year.
The company was badly hurt after state television reported in December 2013 that some poultry suppliers violated rules on drug use in chickens. Yum said KFC sales in China plunged 37 percent the following month. KFC launched an effort to tighten control over product quality and eliminated more than 1,000 small poultry producers from its supply network.
China has suffered a string of product scandals over the past decade in which infants, hospital patients and others have been killed by phony or adulterated milk powder, drugs and other goods.
Foreign fast food brands are seen as more reliable than Chinese competitors, though local brands have made big improvements in quality.
The high profile of foreign brands means any complaints involving them attract attention, while their status as foreign companies with less political influence means Chinese media can publicize their troubles more freely.
Scandal-weary consumers on Monday expressed mixed feelings.
Chen Lu, 24, an employee of an Internet company, was eating a chicken burger and fries at a McDonald's in central Shanghai that was half-empty at midday, a time when most restaurants are crowded.
"My boyfriend called and told me not to eat McDonald's one minute after I ordered this chicken hamburger, but what can I do? I've already ordered and I am in a hurry," she said.
"I am worried about my health," she said. "I will try to avoid it, at least for a while. I am pretty disappointed in this brand."
Another diner, Liu Kun, a 24-year-old student from Nanjing who was visiting Shanghai, said he was unconcerned.
"The incident won't change me eating here," said Liu. "There have been negative reports all the time, McDonald and KFC are the leaders in the industry." AP
Try to make one particular posture as natural as feasible.
ReplyDeleteMost of the horror stories you have heard about dating occur when daters rush the process.
Most online classes also real live instructors that you can contact to
answer your questions and clarify anything that you don.
my web page ... photography summer courses
Try to make one particular posture as natural as feasible.
ReplyDeleteBut what if you could get better grades with less study time.
Students will pick an issue within their community.
Here is my website photography schools in new york
Pick just one museum such as the Rodin museum or L.
ReplyDeleteBut what if you could get better grades with less study time.
Learning the basics of good photography can take the help of a professional.
Feel free to visit my web page: wildlife photography courses
Please note that this is a 1 track recorder so any previous recording is
ReplyDeleteoverwritten. In addition, create a sense of beauty by adding themes to the
frames either with the help of a professional designer or
personalized one. Most online classes also real live instructors that
you can contact to answer your questions and clarify anything that you don.
Here is my web site ... photography courses in mumbai
Magazine cover - Students will choose a magazine, then study past cover photos
ReplyDeletefor inspiration. Online courses also provide baby boomers the chance to learn something new.
Usually, there is little room for extras, as the typical dorm room just
isn't large enough, so it's important to be as creative
as possible.
Feel free to visit my blog post; photography lessons for beginners
Firstly, you need to choose your preferred layout and then you can proceed with customizing the template as much as you
ReplyDeletewant. Take photos from the top of a hill, or off the side of a yacht.
"Next class we will begin learning about Impressionism.
Here is my web site photography course leeds
Post a Comment