Bacteria found in ice cubes in three Beijing fast food chains
Staff Reporter 2013-07-21 15:51
A sign for KFC and Chinese fast food chain Kung Fu in Beijing. (Photo/CFP)
Ice cubes have been found to contain excessive bacteria in fast food restaurants in Beijing, including in McDonald's, KFC, and Kung Fu — a fast food chain that sells traditional Chinese snacks — reports the Beijing Times, citing state-run broadcaster CCTV.
A CCTV reporter took samples of ice cubes from branches of the three fast food chains in Dongcheng district in eastern Beijing and sent them to a local testing center. The results showed that the bacteria level found in the cubes exceeded the levels found in toilet water.
According to China's food safety regulations, ice cubes used in cold drinks cannot contain a bacterial count of more than 100 bacteria per ml and 6 coliform bacteria per 100 ml, and not not have any sign of salmonella bacteria or staphylococcus aureus, said an associate professor of Beijing University of Agriculture. The ice cubes from the three restaurants passed the standards for salmonella and staphylococcus aureus but they all failed to pass the safe standard for levels of bacteria microorganisms.
KFC released an apology on July 21 and said the company has sent investigators to the branch in question. The branch did not offer ice cubes when an undercover reporter ordered a drink at the branch, with a clerk telling the reporter that they had temporarily stopped offering ice cubes, the Beijing Times said. However, the reporter was given ice cubes on a second trip. Meanwhile, the McDonald's branch in question still offers ice cubes, the paper said.
It is the latest scandal to hit China and more specifically KFC and its parent company Yum! Brands. The company previously vowed to step up its quality control and renew the company's marketing strategies in an attempt to restore consumer confidence and salvage its reputation after the company's supplier was found using feed laced with harmful chemical and additives to accelerate the growth of its chickens in November.
