Chongqing

Wal-Mart sold a pack of coffee that had passed its expiration date at a store in China’s southwestern municipality of Chongqing, the state-owned People’s Daily reported today, citing a customer surnamed Zhang.

Wal-Mart stores in the Chinese city of Chongqing reopened to surging crowds today, two weeks after being shut down by local authorities for violating food and product standards. 

Wal-Mart said Ed Chan, president of its China operations, quit as the company grapples with a pork labeling probe that shut all 13 of its stores in Chongqing and led to the detention of at least 27 people.

Wal-Mart is getting another public bludgeoning in China as anger over food safety and political fighting make the retail giant a convenient target. Authorities in the city of Chongqing have arrested two employees, closed down 13 Wal-Mart stores for two weeks and fined the company $421,000.

Some Wal-Mart stores in China will close temporarily following accusations they sold ordinary pork as organic pork, Wal-Mart said. "We have agreed to temporarily close some stores in Chongqing for 15 days. We believe this will allow us to complete comprehensive actions to upgrade the standards in these Chongqing stores," Wal-Mart said in a statement.