Fast food giant KFC's outlets in Tianjin Municipality began on Friday to suspend the sale of a soup made from an allegedly poisonous potherb.

The soup's major ingredient "Tianlvxiang", a Chinese wild herb, was said to have poisoned a little white mouse to death, according to a research report published Wednesday by Yang Xian, a professor on vegetable study with the South China Agricultural University.

The KFC's Tianjin branch made an announcement Friday afternoon that it has sent the sample of the soup to relative organizations for testing, and suspends the sale until final official results are revealed.

The soup has been promoted as a green food by the fried chicken giant this year to cater to Chinese people's demand.

KFC has just opened a new outlet in Shanghai earlier this month, bringing the total number in the Chinese mainland to 1,500.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2005)