SHANGHAI, China – Yum! Brands Inc. and McDonald's Corp. apologized to Chinese consumers following revelations of food-safety lapses at a meat processing plant in Shanghai, according to news reports.

Chinese authorities with the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration shuttered a meat-processing plant run by Shanghai HUSI Food Co. Ltd. after a television report showed workers picking up meat from the plant floor and mixing fresh meat with expired meat. The plant is a local subsidiary of Aurora, Ill.-based OSI Group LLC. In a statement posted the company's Chinese website, OSI Group said:

"OSI Group takes very seriously a recent media report on Dragon TV regarding products manufactured by its subsidiary, Shanghai HUSI Food Co. Ltd. Company management was appalled by the report and is dealing with the issue directly and quickly. The company has formed an investigation team, is fully cooperating with inspections being conducted by relevant, supervising government agencies and is also conducting its own internal review."

The statement went on to affirm the company's commitment to food safety, and that OSI believes the incident is isolated.

"We sincerely apologize to our customers for any problems this has caused and to consumers who may be affected by these events," OSI stated.

Both Yum! and McDonald's were impacted by negative publicity about excess levels of antiviral drugs and growth-promoting hormones in chicken meat supplied to the chains’ restaurants in China.