Two Chinese units of U.S. meat supplier OSI Group LLC, based in suburban Aurora, have been found guilty of selling out of date products to fast food chains.
A Shanghai court ruled there was “ample evidence” that Shanghai and Hebei Husi Foods Ltd., as well as the 10 employees, purposely supplied disqualified products as being acceptable to be sold in stores, Bloomberg Business reports.
OSI’s Shanghai-based spokeswoman Ding Ying told Bloomberg the company would issue a statement if available.
The Dec. 30 ruling comes more than a year after a Chinese TV station uncovered workers had been repackaging and passing off expired chicken and beef. The findings of the investigation caused many restaurant chains, including fast food heavyweights such as McDonald’s and KFC, to temporarily cut their use of product from the Chinese units of the suburban Chicago supplier.
OSI has been fine 1.2 million yuan, or $182,000, for each unit, according to Bloomberg, and the 10 employees were given jail sentences ranging from 19 months to three years.
