McDonald issues fresh apology but refuses to answer questions on rotten meat scandal

[Jar Jar Binks]

McDonald's issues fresh apology but refuses to answer questions on rotten meat scandal

PUBLISHED : Sunday, 27 July, 2014, 2:57pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 27 July, 2014, 3:39pm

Samuel Chan

A branch of McDonald's in Sha Tin, Hong Kong. Photo: Felix Wong

McDonald's Hong Kong today issued another apology for its part in China's rotten meat scandal for a "lack of clarity which has led to public confusion", after the chain was accused of knowingly selling tainted food.

In a four-minute briefing to the press, the fast food giant's Managing Director in Hong Kong, Randy Lai, said the company had "not communicated well", and promised the chain would never again source from the Shanghai Husi processing plant at the heart of the scandal.

However, she fell short of commenting on acccusations of a cover-up, made worse by a shambolic PR exercise in recent days, and refused to answer journalists' questions on the debacle.

“On behalf of McDonald’s Hong Kong management, I deeply apologise to Hong Kong consumers for the lack of clarity which has led to public confusion and anxiety and had disappointed our customers,” Lai said. 'Please accept my sincere apology."

The statement came two days after Hong Kong government's Centre for Food Safety launched a probe into whether the fast-food giant knowingly sold potentially tainted food from Shanghai Husi to the public over a four-day period last week.

McDonald’s had previously denied using any food products from the Shanghai plant.

McDonald's Hong Kong Managing Director Randy Lai gives a press briefing on the rotten meat scandal Picture: SCMP

But on Thursday night, after the government banned the import and sales of products from the Husi company, McDonald's performed a U-turn, halting sales of chicken nuggets from its restaurants after admitting that it had imported chicken and pork from Shanghai Husi - which is accused of repackaging out of date meat and selling it to various fast food outlets

McDonald's then issued its first apology for "confusion", while lawmaker Alice Mak Mei-kuen of the Federation of Trade Unions accused the fast food giant of a cover up, adding that it looks like [McDonald's] was trying to cheat customers".

Embarrassingly for the chain, chicken nuggets were still being sold at a McDonald's restaurant in Causeway Bay at 11.15pm that night - hours after the suspension was announced, with one staff member saying they were being phased out "gradually".

During today's announcement Lai said the chain had sealed off all ingredients imported from Husi's Hebei and Guangzhou bases and had suspended using ingredients from all Husi plants in China.

"Starting this afternoon, we will transport all well-sealed Husi ingredients to a centralised collection point right away," she said.

"The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will then carry out inspections on these stocks to ensure we have carried out the act. This is to ensure that there are no Husi ingredients left in all in our restaurants."

Lai said that the company was now on the hunt for new suppliers for ingredients previously provided by Husi. She said vegetables, such as lettuce and onion, would be sourced from the US and Taiwan and would be back on the menu by early August.

She also said McDonald's would suspend relationships with any suppliers who are alleged to have violated any food safety regulations until full inspection is made.