American fast-food chain Burger King has been exposed for using expired food materials to make hamburgers in China, the country's annual consumer rights show said on Thursday.
Several Burger King's stores in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province replaced the expiration label on stale bread and later served the old bread to customers, the show reported.
But their deception did not end with the bread; the food outlets also served meat and chicken nuggets to customers long after they should have been discarded.
An employee said they would change the label themselves. "We change the label directly and the boss would ask you to change it," the employee said.
According to another employee, the practice continued even in the summer when food spoils easily because of the heat. He said the alarm light would turn red and flash when cooked unsold chicken nuggets have been sitting for over half an hour. Per food handling rules, that food should be discarded, but the employees would simply press the button to make the light turn back to green, restarting the clock.
"The headquarters knows about it," said a store manager, explaining that their headquarter supervisors also started their careers from low-level jobs in the company.
The investigative reporters also discovered that the burger stores failed to follow the company's prescribed operating standards and procedures. An employee said they always cut down on ingredients, such as putting fewer cheese slices and tomatoes into burgers, because his "boss is cheap."
A lot of Nanchang customers also complained on a food delivery platform that Burger King has always sold stale food, and some of them have even suffered from diarrhea.
After the show aired, Burger King China apologized in Chinese on popular Chinese social media platform Weibo and said a working group has been set up to investigate those stores involved, which business has been suspended.
First aired in 1991, the annual consumer rights show is run by China Central Television. It unearths problems and poor business practices at local and international businessesand exposed them to the public. The show, known as "315" in reference to global consumer rights day on March 15, should have been aired in March but was delayed to July 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nike, Apple and Alibaba have all been criticized by the show.
FAQs
BEIJING (AFP) - Burger King has apologised to customers in China after state media reported that two of the US fast food chain's outlets sold expired food in the country, causing an uproar on social media.
When did Burger King stop using preservatives? ›
Burger King said all US Whoppers were free of preservatives by the end of 2020. "We know our guests' expectations are changing, and they want to make choices they can feel good about," Ellie Doty, Burger King North America chief marketing officer, said in a statement.
Is Burger King successful in China? ›
Burger King's success in China
As the Whopper was the flagship burger for Burger King, they were forced to adapt to local tastes and found success with chasing younger & more individualistic diners that resided primarily in the country's big cities.
Does BK use preservatives? ›
Our beef patties are made with 100% beef with no fillers, no preservatives, no additives, no nonsense. We also make our flagship product, the WHOPPER® Sandwich, with 1/4 lb* of savory flame-grilled beef. Now that's a beefy sandwich. *Based on pre-cooked patty weight.
What is the most popular fast food chain in China? ›
Market share of leading fast food brand restaurants in China 2016-2022. In 2022, KFC continued to be the leading restaurant brand in the limited-service restaurant market in China, with approximately 5.5 percent of the market share. McDonald's and Dicos were another two major market players that year.
Does Burger King put MSG in their food? ›
As for Burger King and Taco Bell, MSG is only in select items (Doritos tacos and grilled chicken items, respectively). A pantry-staple. In most cases, MSG is in the flavor packet.
Do whoppers have preservatives? ›
The Whopper® Is Now Free of Colors, Flavors and Preservatives From Artificial Sources.
Why are people boycotting Burger King? ›
Activists have called for a global boycott of Burger King over Israel outlets also providing free food and drinks to the Israeli military. Burger King stores have also found themselves the target of attacks fueled by anti-Israel anger.
Is Burger King owned by China? ›
(KGTV) — An ad popping up online claims America's most famous burger brand is now owned by the Chinese. That is fiction.
What fast food does China own? ›
Indeed, three out of five top brands in China's fast-food market are multinational companies: Yum! China (owning brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, etc.), McDonald's Corp, and Restaurants Brand International (owning brands such as Burger King and Tim Hortons).
A recent Consumer Report report revealed the use of the harmful chemicals, known as PFAS, in the packaging of several large chains including Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, McDonald's and Burger King.
What ingredients did Burger King ban? ›
Burger King is permanently banning 120 artificial flavors, colors and preservatives from its food menus nationwide, including aluminum, bleached flour, sorbic acid, Yellow #5 food dye and dozens of other mouthwatering additives that are harder to pronounce.
Does Burger King have clean ingredients? ›
In the US, Burger King has banned 120 artificial ingredients from the food menu and is working toward offering a permanent food menu that is free of colours, flavours, and preservatives from artificial sources, wherever possible.
What food companies in the US are owned by China? ›
These are large multinational companies like Smithfield Foods, Syngenta, or the Walton International Group, which are all either owned by another Chinese company or Chinese investors.
What restaurant chain does China own? ›
Yum! operates the brands KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill, except in China, where the brands are operated by a separate company, Yum China. Yum! previously also owned Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants.
Why is KFC better than McDonald's in China? ›
Generally where there is a KFC, there is always a McDonald near by. McDonald's had supply problems, their burgers in China are way worse than the USA, and only the McCafe is on par. KFC has much more food choices for Chinese palates, and Yum! brands got into China first.
When did McDonald's stop using preservatives? ›
In 2016, McDonald's eliminated artificial preservatives from its McNuggets and ditched high fructose corn syrup in its buns. Earlier this year, the company replaced frozen beef with fresh beef in its Quarter Pounders and rejiggered its Happy Meal offerings with healthier options, like milk.
What did Burger King do to announce it was no longer adding preservatives in its food? ›
Chain removed Whopper's preservatives in over 400 U.S. restaurants and will reach all of them by end of the year. Burger King, are you okay? On Wednesday, the fast-food giant launches a global ad campaign showing the iconic Whopper sandwich covered in furry blue-gray mold.
Does Burger King use chemicals? ›
McDonald's and Burger King are being sued for use of 'forever chemicals' in packaging. Many restaurant and grocery chains have committed to phasing out PFAS, but a recent report found the chemicals rampant in fast-food packaging.
Does McDonald's still use preservatives? ›
Here are the facts: All of our burger patties in the U.S. are always made with 100% USDA-inspected beef. That's the only ingredient: 100% real beef. Our patties contain no preservatives or fillers, and the only thing we ever add is a touch of salt and pepper when the patties are sizzling hot on the grill.
