July 24, 2014

Japan suspended food imports from Shanghai Husi Food Co., as FamilyMart Co. and McDonald's in Japan removed items supplied by the Chinese meat-processor that may be past their expiration dates from its Japanese outlets, reports Bloomberg.

Japanese authorities would strengthen safety checks on food entering the country, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said today, following the expose of Shanghai Husi Food Co. a unit of Aurora, Illinois-based OSI Group. A Chinese television channel reported on July 20 that workers at Shanghai Husi repackaged and sold chicken and beef past the sell-by-date

Tokyo-based convenience store operator, FamilyMart issued a statement yesterday in which it said it had halted sales of chicken nuggets made from Shanghai Husi products.

Meanwhile, about 20% of the chicken McNuggets McDonald's sold in Japan originates from meat from Shanghai Husi, the company's local unit said in a statement on its website. The fast-food chain suspended the sale of affected products on July 21 and has resumed McNuggets sales using meat from a different supplier, it said.