Beijing - The parent company of a scandal-hit Chinese food supplier has announced that it was withdrawing all products made by the subsidiary.
Shanghai Husi Food, owned by Illinois-based OSI Group, is at the centre of a major food safety scandal, which has spread from China to Hong Kong and Japan, over allegations that it mixed fresh and expired meat.
Legal measures
OSI Group said it would "withdraw from the marketplace" all products made by Shanghai Husi and that it was conducting an internal investigation into current and former senior management.
It vowed to take "swift and decisive action" including legal measures against those responsible for the scandal and said a new management team would be brought to China.
Regulators in Shanghai said that Husi had forged production dates on smoked beef patties and then sold them after they had expired.
OSI Group said it would fully co-operate with Chinese regulators.
Expired meat
Chinese police have detained five people as part of the investigation.
The scandal, which has dragged in global food brands including McDonald's, KFC-parent Yum Brands and Starbucks, was triggered by a local television report showing staff at Shanghai Husi using long-expired meat.
The report also alleged the firm forged production dates.
Food safety has been a big concern for Chinese consumers after dairy products tainted with the industrial chemical melamine caused the deaths of six infants and thousands became ill in 2008.