China food scandal spreads, drags in Starbucks, Burger King and McNuggets in Japan

China food scandal spreads, drags in Starbucks, Burger King and McNuggets in Japan | Reuters China's food watchdog said it ordered regional offices to carry out spot checks on all firms which had used Shanghai Husi products, and would inspect all of parent OSI's sites around China to see if enough has been done to ensure food safety. It said the case could be handed over to the police. The regulator's Shanghai branch said in a statement on Tuesday it had demanded production, quality control and sales records from OSI. It added it already ordered McDonald's to seal over 4,500 boxes of suspected meat products and Yum's Pizza Hut to seal over 500 boxes of beef.// This meat scandal can be seen as a takedown of foreign fast food chains and their foreign supplier OSI, or, if allegations true, as a legitimate expose of egregious behavior by OSI and remarkably negligent supply chain management by fast food firms. This time Shanghai regulators may end up wishing that was not exposed, especially as the CCDI has an upcoming Shanghai inspection tour...http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/22/us-china-food-idUSKBN0FR07K20140722?utm_source=The+Sinocism+China+Newsletter&utm_campaign=7d17da9d13-Sinocism07_22_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_171f237867-7d17da9d13-29615013&mc_cid=7d17da9d13&mc_eid=5935182a65

Related: 麦当劳等供应商经理：使用过期原料是高层授意_新闻_腾讯网 manager of the quality department at Shanghai Husi Food Co., Ltd tells investigators that using expired meat was management's idea //  东方网7月22日消息：据《东方卫视》报道，从7月21日中午开始，调查人员对福喜工厂的相关负责人进行了约谈。工厂质量部经理表示，对于过期原料的使用，是工厂高层直接授意，公司多年来政策一贯如此。据其向调查人员反映，这样的行为至少需要厂长以上的领导同意，像牛肉饼这种一直有生产的产品可以直接添加次品材料。当被问及这种行为从何时开始时，该负责人称不记得了。

Related: Shanghai authorities vow thorough probe into meat scandal - Xinhua  Shanghai authorities on Monday vowed transparency and timely disclosure in its ongoing probe into the alleged use of stale meat in products supplied to fast food chains including McDonald's and KFC. Law enforcement officials had suspended production at a suburban plant of Shanghai Husi Food Co., Ltd, a unit of U.S. food supplier OSI Group, after a news program aired by local television on Sunday claimed the company was using stale meat to make products, the municipal government said in a statement.

Related: China Focus: Fast food chains act over meat concerns - Xinhua A source close to Shanghai's food and drug watchdog told Xinhua that the company, graded as an A-Level enterprise by the local regulator, is subject to two reviews every year. Two sampling tests the company underwent during its review for the first half of this year showed no problems. "The fact that regulators take action only after violations are exposed suggests that their day-to-day oversight is not effective," said Shen Jianhua, who sits on an expert panel under Shanghai's municipal food safety office.

Related: 福喜在华企业将被彻查 央媒：别替洋快餐喊冤_新闻_腾讯网 media assault on Husi intensifying