Hong Kong has banned imports from OSI Group’s
Shanghai Husi Food subsidiary following a food safety scare involving several
global brands, according to the Reuters news agency.
The South
China Morning Post reports that Hong Kong authorities said they will
investigate McDonald’s Hong Kong unit for initially failing to disclose its
imports of meat products from Shanghai Husi.
McDonald’s Hong Kong has since apologized to
its customers and said it would stop selling several items including McSpicy
chicken filets, the Chinese newspaper reports.
Shanghai police shut down the Shanghai Husi factory and
detained five company employees following a TV report that showed workers using
expired meat and meat that had fallen to the floor to make products including
chicken nuggets.
McDonald’s said it would retain OSI as a supplier in
China, while Yum Brands and Starbucks said they would no longer buy from the
Shanghai Husi unit.
China’s food regulator has visited nearly 600
restaurants, food distributors and businesses so far in its investigation of
the case, according to Reuters.
OSI Chief Executive Sheldon Lavin based in
Aurora, Illinois, has apologized for the problems at the China
unit.
