A KFC outlet in Shanghai. (Photo/Xinhua) |
In yet another fast-food safety scandal in China, state broadcaster CCTV has reported that a key supplier to McDonald's and KFC in the country illegally adds up to 18 kinds of antibiotics to its poultry feed, according to the Shanghai-based First Financial Daily.
The Dec. 18
report alleged that the Shandong-based Liuhe Group uses banned chemicals
including dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant steroid, to
accelerate livestock growth, and has been able to get away with it due to the
lack of testing conducted by Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC.
Both
McDonald's and KFC issued a statement in response to the CCTV report, saying
that they have strict control over their supply chains, the newspaper said.
KFC further
said that it had already stopped buying poultry from Liuhe, while McDonald's
was unable to confirm whether the Shandong-based group was still one of its
suppliers.
Meanwhile,
local regulators have reportedly ordered a Liuhe branch in the Shandong city of
Pingdu, which was allegedly involved in the violations reported by CCTV, to
suspend all operations for inspection.
Two
officials at the branch admitted that the drugs used on the poultry were not
supervised and no testing of banned drugs was performed on the premises.
The two
fast food chains are already in the thick of what has been termed
"Chickengate" after similar attempts to swiftly fatten up their
poultry were exposed at another major supplier, Tengzhou-based Wintop Food, the
newspaper said.
Tan
Changchun, a marketing expert with China Stone Management Consulting Group,
said the rapid expansion of KFC in China might have led to the chain
overlooking the dubious quality control standards of its suppliers.
In the last
two years, KFC has seen the number of its restaurants in China rise from 3,000
to 4,000. It took the chain 17 years to open its first 1,000 stores in China,
and another six to top the 3,000 mark.
This latest
incident, Tan said, is another indication of the problems existing in KFC's
internal control system.
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A chicken
farm in Nanchang, Jiangxi province. (File photo/Xinhua)
|
Related Articles:
KFC Parent Suffers After China Scandal - New
KFC admits excessive antibiotics were used in its chicken
'Instant chicken' scandal may force safer practices in China
Liuhe exec admits drug sales make up large part of chicken trade
Shanghai to punish persons responsible in KFC hormone scandal
KFC suspected of concealing results of food safety tests
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