BRAZIL BRIBE SCANDAL
Restaurants in Asia drop dodgy meat
The drastic steps by eateries in South Korea and Hong Kong are aimed at avoiding a customer backlash linked to Brazil's tainted meat scandal
Seoul/Hong Kong — Major fast food chains in South Korea and Hong Kong have pulled chicken, beef and pork off their menus in a scramble to reassure customers about food safety as Brazil’s meat scandal crisis intensifies. The drastic steps by Burger King and Mom’s Touch in South Korea, and Hong Kong’s top fast food chain Cafe de Coral are aimed at avoiding a customer backlash after Brazilian police accused inspectors in the world’s biggest exporter of beef and poultry of taking bribes to allow sales of rotten and salmonella-tainted meats. The chains are seeking to restore the confidence of consumers sceptical of food producers, retailers and restaurants after a series of food scares in Asia involving tainted products from baby formula to cooking oil. Removing the menu items will add to plummeting demand for meat, with poultry particularly hard hit in 2017 by the global spread of the deadly bird flu virus, and could damage Brazil’s meatpacking industry. China and Hong Kong are the top ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.