KFC exits Fiji after Colonel's secret recipe is quarantined
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Colonel Sanders appears to have met his match in Fiji, with KFC closing all three of its outlets on the Pacific island after the food-safety agency slapped the restaurant chain's top-secret herbs and spices blend in quarantine.
The country's agriculture secretary, Colonel Mason Smith, told local media that the breadcrumbs – which contain the much-touted "secret recipe" – and a milk-and-egg mix had been held up for inspection to ensure the products were disease-free, and insisted the country had not banned any products.
But KFC said it had been unable to import the key ingredients since October last year. "The missing ingredients led to a decline in product quality [which], coupled with rising food costs, contributed to decreasing sales," the Fiji Times quoted the company as saying.
Fijian officials allege that the fuss over the ingredients is a ruse to cover up the fact that the stores were suffering financially.
"KFC are a global fast-food chain with a very slick public-relations machine but at a local level I think their message is becoming a little confused," Elvis Silvestrini, the head of Fiji's Biosecurity Authority, told Radio New Zealand International. "The local general manager stated himself, he has attributed the decision to suspend Fiji operations because of rising costs and deteriorating sales."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments