Following a food scandal in China involving expired meat used to produce fast-food products, the American company that owns the plant where the actions were documented said Monday that it was suspending the factory's operations.
Authorities in Shanghai just over a week ago shut a plant owned by privately-held OSI Group for mixing out-of-date meat with fresh product and later detained five officials from the OSI subsidiary which operated it, Shanghai Husi Food Co.
The factory's customers in China included McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, coffee chain Starbucks, Burger King, 7-Eleven convenience stores and Papa John's Pizza, according to the companies.
The scandal began when Chinese television showed workers at Husi Shanghai handling expired and tainted meat with their bare hands. Workers could be seen processing meat that had fallen on the floor, for example.
The scandal forced McDonald's to pull food from its restaurants in China, Japan and Hong Kong.
Regulators in Shanghai said Saturday that Husi had forged production dates on smoked beef patties and then sold them after they expired.
State media said last week that authorities had confirmed allegations aired by a Shanghai television station, that the factory used expired meat and mis-labelled products.
