Chinese TV Says McDonald’s and Carrefour Sold Unsafe Food

April 4, 2012


Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. expiration (n.) [ek-spuh-rey-shuhn] – the time when something ends
Example He can no longer eat the food after its expiration date.

2. label (n.) [ley-buhl] – something (usually paper) placed on an item that shows the item’s name, brand and/or information
Example:  The Italian wine’s label said the wine was produced in 2005.

3. free-range (adj.) [free-reynj] – free to move around
ExampleFree-range animals seem to have less stress than animals that live in tight cages.

4.  investigate (v.) [in-ves-ti-geyt] – to learn information about something
Example School officials will investigate how students got copies of the exams.

5. isolated (adj.) [ahy-suh-ley-tid, is-uh-] – only happening once
Example:  The poor service at the restaurant last night was an isolated problem.


Article
Read the text below.

China Central Television, a government-run TV station, recently reported that a McDonald’s restaurant and a Carrefour store in China sold chicken products that were past their expiration dates.

According to McDonald’s food safety rules, food that has not been sold 30 minutes after it was cooked should be thrown away. However, the Chinese TV report said that a McDonald’s restaurant in Beijing sold chicken wings that had been out for 90 minutes.

Employees at a Carrefour supermarket in Zhengzhou, on the other hand, reportedly changed the expiration dates of some raw chicken packs. They were also accused of changing product labels to sell regular chicken as more expensive free-range chicken.

Both companies have posted apologies to consumers on their Chinese websites. US-based McDonald’s said it will seriously investigate what it calls an isolated case. Paris-based Carrefour said it will work with Chinese authorities to learn what happened in the Zhengzhou store. The French chain also said it will make sure employees undergo better training.

The reports add to the country’s growing concern for food safety. China has already been dealing with a number of food safety scandals including reports about deadly baby milk formula, pork containing dangerous chemicals and re-used restaurant cooking oil.



Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

·         How do you think McDonald’s will be affected by this incident?
·         How do you think this kind of incident affects consumers?

Discussion B

·         How do you make sure that the food you eat is safe?
·         What can the government do to keep food safe?



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April 4, 2012