Wal-Mart recalled donkey meat from its shelves in China after tests revealed it was tainted with DNA from another animal.
"Five Spice Donkey Meat" was pulled from Wal-Marts in Jinan, the capital of the Shandong province, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Tests on the meat from the supplier Dezhou Fujude Food Company Limited found fox DNA, CNN Money reported.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, apologized to its customers and will offer full refunds. The company also announced it will perform regular tests on all of its meat sold in China, including mutton, beef, donkey and venison, CNN Money reported.
"We are deeply sorry for this whole affair," Greg Foran, Wal-Mart's China president, said in a statement, according to Reuters. "It is a deep lesson (for us) that we need to continue to increase investment in supplier management."
Chinese authorities in Yucheng put officials from Dezhou Fujude in "criminal detention," Bloomberg reported.
"Walmart will spare no effort in fulfilling its obligations as a retailer and in working with government authorities in their investigation," said Foran in a statement obtained by Bloomberg. "Walmart commits to further enhance sample testing in the future."
This is not the first time Wal-Mart has had contamination problems with its food in China. A citation was issued against the retailer in 2012 after dangerous levels of chemicals were found in sesame oil and squid, Bloomberg reported.
Local police in 2011 arrested Wal-Mart employees in Chongqing for allegedly selling regular pork that was labeled as organic, Bloomberg reported. Though the employees were eventually released, for two weeks Wal-Mart closed down Chongqing stores and settle fines.
The latest infraction could hurt Wal-Mart's plan for expansion in China, the world's largest grocery market, Reuters reported. Wal-Mart plans on opening 110 stores in China over the next several years. But at the same time the company is scheduled to close numerous locations in 2014 due to lack of profit, CNN Money reported.
"This is another hit on Wal-Mart's brand, meaning wealthy shoppers will start to lose the trust they had before," Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group, told Reuters.
