McDonald’s Macau has temporarily suspended sales of its “Ebi Burger” series as a precaution after McDonald’s operations in China’s Taiwan region announced that two shrimp burgers there were found to contain synthetic antibiotics that did not meet food safety standards, according to a statement by public broadcaster TDM.
The statement said that McDonald’s in Taiwan announced that its “Ebi Burger” and “Double Double Ebi Burger” were found to contain nitrofuran* and its metabolites** to exceed permitted standards in the imported shrimp patties used in the products.
The products were removed from sale yesterday morning, with further testing being conducted in cooperation with suppliers and testing organisations, the statement noted.
In response to an enquiry, McDonald’s Macau said it had checked with its supplier and confirmed that the shrimp patties used in its “Ebi Burger” series sold in Macau have different formulations and batches from those used by McDonald’s eateries in Taiwan.
Nevertheless, McDonald’s Macau said it had immediately suspended sales of the relevant products as a precautionary measure to address public concerns. Meanwhile, the statement also said that the media in Hong Kong also reported that the McDonald’s there had, as a precaution, temporarily suspended sales of the problematic products.
The suspension in Macau is precautionary, the statement said, with McDonald’s Macau noting that the shrimp patty formulations and batches sold locally differ from those involved in the Taiwan case.
*Nitrofurans are a class of synthetic antibiotic and antimicrobial medications primarily used to treat and prevent lower urinary tract infections (UTIs) such as acute cystitis. The most common human medicine in this class is nitrofurantoin, which concentrates in the urine to kill bacteria in the bladder. – Gemini
** Metabolites are the intermediate or end products of metabolism – the chemical processes that occur inside a living cell or organism to sustain life. They are small molecules (like sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, or organic acids) that are created, transformed, or broken down during metabolic reactions. They act as fuel, building blocks for growth, signalling molecules, and waste products that must be removed. – DeepSeek
This image downloaded from McDonald’s Hong Kong website yesterday shows the “Ebi Burger” series.
