Amid the second food scare in China, Yum Brands, owner of fast food chains Pizza Hut and KFC, has decided to lower its sights and make do with a lower profit forecast for this year.

Instead, the firm is now expecting earnings per share to increase up to 10% this year compared to the 20% projection for growth it had set earlier.

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The cut in projection comes on the heels of a second food scare in China that slumped its sales in the last quarter at 14%. Yum Brands suffered a profit setback after a former supplier was accused of selling expired meat.

Yum shares closed 2.3% lower in the United States.

Yum is the largest foreign restaurant chain operator in China with more than 6,400 restaurants currently in operation. China is its biggest market, generating 75% of its sales from its restaurants in the country.

Although its profits nearly doubled to $404M in the last quarter, its revenue missed forecasts in the last three months fell at 3.2% to $3.35 bn.

In a statement, Yum said the latest food scare "had shaken consumers" and despite the rebound sales, customers were still driven away, hurting the company's "brand usage."

Yum said the sales atmosphere in China is still very unpredictable and, based on their experience, it will take six to nine months before sales can recover after the recent food scandal.

Two high-profile food scares have hit Yum's restaurants in recent years - one in December 2012 and a bird flu outbreak earlier this year.

Yum has reportedly severed ties with two of its meat suppliers, Shanghai Husi and its parent company OSI Group, after news reports spread that the suppliers were selling old meat and tampering with expiration dates.

The fast food giant vowed to take the suppliers to court very soon. 

TagsYum! Brands, Food scare, KFC, pizza hut, food scandal, yum