KFC China to public: Come tour our farms, kitchens

• 

  Julie Graber

  KFC is inviting its consumers in China to tour the farms where its chickens are raised in an effort to ease food safety worries.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Seeking to ease the minds of Chinese consumers worried about food safety, KFC is inviting the public to tour the farms where its chickens are raised and the kitchens where the food is prepared.
  KFC and parent company Yum! Brands has been experiencing slow sales from food safety worries that include avian influenza outbreaks and a recent scandal where Yum! Brands supplier Husi Food Co. had allegedly repackaged expired meats with false expiration dates printed. Yum! Brands was not aware that the labels had been altered.
  In an effort to be transparent, placemats at KFC contain the messages inviting its consumers to see how the food is raised and prepared. The placemats read: "How is KFC's food prepared? Is the chicken safe? Are the restaurants hygienic? You can see our chicken farms yourself, and unravel the mysteries of KFC restaurants on the spot. You decide whether or not our food is safe!"
  Customers can register online to book a visit. An earlier tour led by the manager of a Shanghai restaurant this month showcased employee hand-washing, the oil used in the fryers, the way the chickens are raised, and the purified water used in the food.
  The transparency was limited, however, as tour participants were not allowed to use their mobile phones, take pictures or video or record any audio.