Walmart, the US retailer, has been ordered to close seven stores in south-western China after police detained a number of store managers following allegations that employees labelled ordinary pork as organic.
The company would not say how many of its store managers in the city of Chongqing had been detained but said it was co-operating with an investigation by the Chongqing Administration of Industry and Commerce.
“We believe the closure has come about as a result of the recent investigation in some of our stores in Chongqing” due to the allegations of mislabelled pork, Walmart said in a statement. The stores are to remain closed for 14 days, which would allow it time “to focus on implementing corrective actions”.