Wal-Mart sold donkey snacks contaminated by fox meat

The world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, has recalled donkey meat sold at some outlets in China after traces of fox meat was found.

16:39 03 January 2014

Following tests showing that donkey meat sold at some outlets in China contained the DNA of other animals including fox, Wal-Mart recalled the tainted Five Spice donkey meat and offered refunds to customers who have bought it. In China, donkey is a popular snacking meat but foxes are not.

In addition, the world’s largest retailer is reportedly investigating its Chinese supplier called Weibo. It added that it would strengthen food safety rules and take legal action against the product supplier.

Shaun Rein, a Shanghai-based managing director of China Market Research Group, said: “This is another hit on Wal-Mart’s brand, meaning wealthy shoppers will start to lose the trust they had before.”

China is the largest grocery market in the world and is set to grow to  £900bn by 2016, according to the Institute of Grocery Distribution. Because of this, Wal-Mart had previously announced its plans to open new 110 new stores in the next few years.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart’s China president and chief executive Greg Foran said: “We are deeply sorry for this whole affair. It is a deep lesson [for us] that we need to continue to increase investment in supplier management.”