Eight purchasing managers at Carrefour's China operations have been detained by police on suspicion of taking bribes from food suppliers, the latest in a series of corruption problems to face multinationals in China.

Carrefour, one of the biggest foreign retail chains in China, handed the information to the police after an internal investigation, the company said yesterday.

Local media reported that the officials all worked in meat purchasing, but the French retailer refused to confirm the details yesterday.

There was no indication the officials had been taking bribes to accept sub-standard goods, but the detentions underline the challenges for retailers in China in ensuring product safety at a time of uncertainty about the quality of Chinese manufacturing.

The allegations also underscore the difficulties companies in China face with purchasing, where bribery can be commonplace. Last week Siemens said 20 staff at its China operations had left the group after an internal inquiry into corruption.