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Food chains halt sales of suspect products

2014-07-22 08:09 Shanghai Daily Web Editor: Qin Dexing
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The use of out-of-date meat at the Shanghai-based food processing company at the center of a public health scandal has been going on for years, a senior employee admitted yesterday.

Zhang Hui, a quality control manager at Husi Food, said it was common practice to re-process "expired" meat as long as it was approved by a senior executive, Shanghai TV news reported.

"It should be the plant director or someone more senior (who makes the decision)," Zhang told officials from the city's food and drug administration in the TV program.

In the case of substandard products, no approval was necessary as it was the company's standard policy to reuse them, Zhang said.

"Substandard refers to products that fail to meet our clients' requirements," he said. "We keep and seal them (for future use)."

He said he couldn't remember when the policy was introduced, but believed it had been going on for many years.

A team of officials from the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration and public security bureau is currently investigating Zhang's claims and other issues raised in a Shanghai TV news program broadcast on Sunday. Several senior Husi personnel are also being questioned by police in relation to the allegations.

Among other things, Shanghai Husi Food Co Ltd — a unit of United States-based OSI Group — is said to have repackaged out-of-date beef and chicken with falsified expiry dates to extend its shelf life, mixed expired meat with fresh cuts, and lied to quality inspectors from McDonald's.

The Shanghai company supplies a number of global fast food chains, including McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut.

Following Sunday's raid by the SFDA, the Husi plant has been sealed off and suspect products have been seized.

The administration said in a statement that it has also ordered all food companies that use products made by Husi to suspend sales and to seal any outstanding stocks for inspection.

MacDonald's has sealed more than 4,500 cases of beef, chicken and pork, while Pizza Hut has sealed more than 500 cases of seasoned beef products, the statement said.

OSI Group said it was "appalled" by the news report and is dealing with the issue "directly and quickly."

The company is cooperating with government inspectors, and is also conducting its own internal review, it said in a statement on its website yesterday.

"We'll share the investigation results with the public and the company is committed to taking all necessary actions based on those results," it said.

The company has zero tolerance for any actions that compromise food safety, it said, adding that it believes the Husi case to be an isolated event.

"We will take full responsibility for the situation and take appropriate action swiftly and comprehensively," it said.

McDonald's issued a statement yesterday saying it has stopped using all food materials supplied by Husi, Xinhua news agency reported.

Yum Brands Inc, which owns the KFC and Pizza Hut brands, said its outlets have stopped using meat products supplied by the firm.

In a separate statement issued yesterday afternoon, KFC said some of its restaurants in south China's Fujian Province will stop selling certain products due to the food safety incident.

Sandwich chain Subway said its restaurants do not use meat products supplied by Husi, while fast food chain Dicos, which is owned by Taiwan's Ting Hsin International Group, said it has stopped selling products containing ham slices supplied by the Shanghai firm.

Swedish home furnishing retailer IKEA said it used Husi as a meat supplier from September 2012 to August 2013, but no longer does so.

At a KFC outlet on Xikang Road yesterday, a customer surnamed Wang told Shanghai Daily that although he frequently used the fast food brand, "today I'm just having ice cream."

McDonald's stores across the city yesterday offered a reduced menu in light of the scandal. At three outlets visited by Shanghai Daily, just four kinds of burgers were on offer, instead of the usual 10.

A cashier said the sale of beef burgers and lettuce had been suspended.

Gu Zhenhua, vice head of the SFDA, said all of the allegations will be probed.

"No matter which company is involved, we must strive to protect people's health," the official said.

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