Some KFC outlets in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin are being investigated for failing to designate some of their cooking ingredients as genetically modified.
During recent checks of multiple KFC outlets in Tianjin's Hexi District, market authorities discovered that the fast food company was utilizing genetically modified soybean oil for on-site baking, according to a Tianjin Daily report.
Market watchdogs confiscated the raw material and halted its use when numerous bottles of genetically engineered soybean oil with the Sunshine brand of Yihai Kerry Food Co were discovered at one KFC location.
Branches of Tianjin market officials discovered the same type of oil at multiple additional KFC outlets while failing to alert customers.
One KFC employee told the market regulatory authority that soybean oil had been placed on baking pans to keep meat, beef, and chicken wings from sticking.
KFC has yet to respond to the issue.
According to China's Food Safety Law, genetically modified goods must be labeled as required.
The Regulations on the Safety Management of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms and the Administrative Measures on the Labeling of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms both require that genetically modified foods be "obviously" labeled.
The genetically engineered soybean oil with the Sunshine brand of Yihai Kerry Food Co
