Chinese regulator tells Walmart to stamp out food safety risks

BEIJING, June 15 (Reuters) – China’s market regulator has ordered strict measures by Walmart supermarket chain Sam’s Club to eliminate food safety risks throughout its supply chain and safeguard public dietary safety, the regulator said.

The admonition comes amid a push to expand in China during which Sam’s Club racked up double-digit growth in transactions last year as new openings boosted its tally of membership-only stores to 63 nationwide, its website shows.

The action followed a meeting with an executive of the U.S. retailer to discuss recently detected food safety issues, the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a notice on Monday, without giving the date of the meeting.

Walmart’s China office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We will regularly report rectification progress to the regulatory authorities and proactively accept supervision,” Sam’s Club said in an apology, according to a state-backed media outlet, the Paper.

The chain has set up a special task force led by management to remedy matters, along with supply chain inspections, while offering assurances of strict compliance with rules and optimal product quality control, it added.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)