KFC Shuts Fiji Stores in Battle Over Ingredients

KFC has closed all three of its stores in Fiji after a fight over ingredients it needs for its secret coating, reports the BBC. The chicken chain says the military government hasn't let it import milk, herbs, and eggs since late last year. "The missing ingredients led to a decline in product quality, coupled with rising food costs, contributed to decreasing sales," the company explains in a release quoted by the Fiji Times.

Fiji officials say the the imports have been held up because KFC hasn't provided the necessary paperwork to satisfy health regulations. “The onus is on KFC to provide us with a simple veterinary certificate, that is all we ask,” says an official. The government accuses the company of using the dispute to mask the real reason for the closures: Fijians aren't crazy about the colonel's chicken. (More KFC stories.)