News

Illinois company revamping Chinese operation

The CEO of Illinois-based OSI Group says he will not try to defend or explain the actions of his company’s meat plant in Shanghai.  In a statement on the company website, Sheldon Lavin states “what happened at Husi Shanghai is completely unacceptable” and he promised they will take all the steps needed; “to make sure it never happens again.”

A television documentary showed employees at the Husi Foods plant mixing expired meat with fresh meat and then forging production dates.  Chinese authorities say they found beef patties originally produced in May 2013 were mixed and sold as produced in January 2014. Xinhua news reports there were 4,396 batches with forged dates, of which 3,030 had been sold.

Two of the plant’s major customers; McDonalds and Yum Brands stopped doing business with the plant.  OSI suspended all operations at the Shanghai facility and withdrew all meat products originating at the Husi plant on Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference in Shanghai on Monday; David McDonald, president and chief operation officer at OSI Industries said the company would make “sweeping changes” to its China operations, including senior personnel changes.  OSI operates eight plants in China and one in Hong Kong.

Started in Chicago in 1908, OSI now has over 50 manufacturing facilities in Asia, Europe and the Americas with annual sales of nearly $6 billion.

 

Read Sheldon Lavin’s statement here: