The World's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, recalled donkey meat sold in China after tests showed that the product contained the DNA of other animals which included fox, the US firm said yesterday.
Wal-Mart, which operates more than 400 facilities in China, say that they will reimburse customers who bought the contaminated Five Spice donkey meat and is working with the Shandong Food and Drug Administration, which said the product contained fox meat, to fully investigate the supplier.
Wal-Mart withdrew all products from vendor Dezhou Fujude Food Company, after fox DNA was identified in samples, the retailer said in a statement. Yucheng, China authorities put Dezhou Fujude officials in “criminal detention,” and Wal-Mart is considering legal action, according to the statement.
“Wal-Mart will spare no effort in fulfilling its obligations as a retailer and in working with government authorities in their investigation,” Greg Foran, the company’s China president, said in the statement. “Wal-Mart commits to further enhance sample testing in the future.”
The scandal could dent Wal-Mart's reputation for quality in China's colossal €725 billion food and grocery market. The US firm plans to open 100 new stores in China over the newt few years. It's not the first time that the quality of their goods have been called into question in China.
In 2011, Wal-Mart were fined for selling duck meat past its expiry date and for manipulating product prices.
© 2013 - European Supermarket Magazine by Enda Dowling
