Starbucks China sold products from troubled meat firm

Customers buy coffee at a Starbucks Coffee cafe in Shanghai, China, March 11, 2014. [Photo/IC]

US coffee giant Starbucks said on Tuesday that some of its stores previously sold products containing chicken originally sourced from Shanghai Husi Food Co Ltd, a firm that was shut down on Sunday by local regulators over food safety concerns.

Shanghai Husi previously also supplied meat to fast food chains McDonald's Corp and KFC-parent Yum Brands Inc, which apologised to Chinese customers on Monday following a TV report that showed workers picking up meat from a factory floor, as well as mixing meat beyond its expiration date.

Starbucks said on its Chinese microblog site that it had no direct business relationship with Shanghai Husi, a local unit of US firm OSI Group LLC, but that the chicken had been acquired from another supplier which had in turn purchased chicken from Husi. It said the chicken was used in a product called "Chicken Apple Sauce Panini" that was sold in 13 different provinces and major cities.

In its statement, Starbucks said all the products had already been removed from the shelves.

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