Chinese KFC supplier accused of using toxic additives

Beijing: A Chinese supplier to popular US fast food chain KFC has been accused of lacing chicken feed with huge amounts of toxic additives to make chicken grow faster, media reports have said.

The reports emerged last week alleging that the Suhai Group adds toxic industrial chemicals to chicken feed to make the chicken grow faster --45 days for a chicken to grow big enough for slaughter. Reports said that the chicken feed Suhai prepared was so toxic that it could even kill flies. The Suhai Group, based in north China`s Shanxi Province, said in a statement that its chicken meat "does not have problems" and samples are being sent to the provincial quarantine agency for testing. Suhai countered that its production lines have passed the government`s annual quality checks, and 45 days is a normal growth cycle for a chicken, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. China`s food industry has suffered a series of scandals in recent years, from melamine-laced dairy products to recycled "gutter oil". The latest reports, though not yet verified, have sparked public fear. According to Suhai`s website, the company raises 120 million chickens annually. It also says it is a supplier to major fast food chains like KFC, airlines and colleges across the country and exports to Saudi Arabia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and South Africa. McDonald`s in China said earlier that Suhai is not among its suppliers, while Kentucky Fried Chicken`s China stores said Suhai`s products make up one per cent of the chicken the fast food chain uses. PTI