Shanghai Walmart and Metro stores fined for substandard food

Two outlets of Walmart and Metro in Shanghai were fined by the market watchdog for selling substandard food products, the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration said on Friday.

Chocolate wafer biscuits weighing 300 grams per packet made by Walmart (China) and sold at the 128 Jinian Road outlet of Walmart in Baoshan District failed for excessive peroxide, a sign that they were stale.

The outlet was fined 50,000 yuan (US$7,793) and had illegal profits of 402 yuan confiscated by the Baoshan District Market Supervision and Management Bureau.

More than 80 packets have been sold, and the remaining 33 were confiscated by the bureau.

The Jinshan outlet of Metro was fined 50,000 yuan after a batch of dried shredded squid sold at the outlet was found to contain 6.68 micrograms of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) per kilogram, 67 percent higher than China’s national standard limit of 4mg/kg.

NDMA is toxic to the liver and other organs, and is a human carcinogen.

Sixteen packs of the squid have been sold, and the remaining four were confiscated by the Jinshan District Market Supervision and Management Bureau.

In addition, Shanghai Zhengwen Biological Technology Co Ltd was fined 40,000 yuan and had illegal profit totaling 23,285 yuan confiscated after a calcium tablet it sold failed based on its calcium amount, according to the Pudong New Area Market Supervision and Management Bureau.

More than 4,200 bottles have been sold, and 2,449 have been recalled. Remaining stock of more than 15,000 bottles have been destroyed.