McDonald’s french fries supplier slapped fine of 3.9 million yuan for water pollution

Beijing, April 30: A company in China which supplies French fries to Mcdonald's has been slapped biggest ever pollution fine, media reported on Thursday.

Beijing Simplot Food Processing has been asked to pay 3.9 million yuan (£408,000; $629,000) after its waste water was found to have levels of impurities above legal limits, BBC reported.

"We have taken the issue very seriously and would be monitoring Beijing Simplot's compliance," said McDonald's in a statement.

Simplot established a potato processing facility in 1992, producing China's first commercial frozen french fry in April of 1993. Beijing Simplot Food Processing Co. Ltd., is a joint venture facility, located in Nanyuan in Beijing.

A small amount of polluted water had entered the Beijing's main water pipes, but was not dangerous to the public.
China has been facing international pressure to clean up its environment and an increasing number of local protests concerning pollution.

Polluted water flows into the Yangtze River from a stream 16 April 2007 in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province, China.

In January it put in place a new environmental law with tougher penalties. Earlier this month, it launched a 10-point plan to target water pollution.

A court on the eastern Jiangsu province set the country's biggest fine for pollution in December last year when it fined six companies 160m yuan for polluting rivers.

OneIndia News