No one grows chicken like KFC? Chinese firms sued over eight-legged chicken claims on social media
Fast food chain KFC is suing three Chinese companies for spreading rumours that the company feeds customers meat from grossly-mutated chickens.
Combating rumours of gross genetic impropriety, the US firm which has 4,600 restaurants in China, is seeking compensation of 1.5m yuan (£159,000) and an apology from Shanxi Weilukuang Technology, Taiyuan Zero Point Technology and Yingchenanzhi Success and Culture Communication for sharing the rumours.
Qu Cuirong KFC president said that “strange rumours have been circulating for a long time” claiming that the firm farms eight-legged, six winged fowl and handles maggot-infested food “from the early years of email”.
Adding that the social media rumours “seriously misled consumers and also hurt the brand”.
Cuirong branded the remarks as “nonsense” adding that had KFC created such specimens, it would win a Nobel Prize in genetics.
Over 4,000 messages had been recorded on social media and the WeChat app, which were read over 100,000 times.
The Shanghai Xuhui District People’s Court will handle the case going forward.