McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets Taken Off Hong Kong Menu Amid China Food Safety Scandal

McDonald’s in Hong Kong have stopped selling chicken nuggets after it imported certain products from Shanghai Husi Food, which is at the center of a food safety scare in China. Even though no food items from the Shanghai supplier remain, McDonald’s said in a statement on Thursday that it would not sell McNuggets, McSpicy chicken filets, chicken and green salads, fresh corn cups and iced lemon tea in its Hong Kong restaurants.

"We reiterate that until today, all the food sold at McDonald's restaurants conform to the food safety standard under Hong Kong legal regulations," McDonald's said.

McDonald’s made its statement after Hong Kong said it had suspended, effective immediately, all imports from Shanghai Husi Food, which is a U.S.-owned company that operates out of Illinois.

The Chinese food safety scandal broke after a television special aired on Saturday appeared to show staff at Shanghai Husi Food using long expired meat and picking up food from the floor to add back to the mix. International Business Times reported allegations this week of similar issues in one of the company's plants in West Chicago.

Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety assured residents any food items from Husi that had already been imported into the city would be labeled, sealed and banned from sale. Additionally, all Husi food products would be investigated by Chinese authorities.

The Hushi scare comes on the heels of KFC parent Yum Brands Inc., which now requires all of its KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants to stop using meat materials provided by the Husi factory.

In terms of number of restaurants, China is McDonald’s third-biggest market.

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