Japan: Food Poisoning May Be Deliberate

By Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press Writer
Japanese Official Says Contamination of Chinese Dumplings Probably Deliberate

Feb 5, 2008

TOKYO (AP) -- Pesticide-laced Chinese dumplings that sickened at least 10 people in Japan and triggered a nationwide scare were probably poisoned deliberately, Japan's health minister said Tuesday.
The frozen dumplings, produced by China's Tianyang Food Processing Ltd., were contaminated with the pesticide methamidophos and blamed for a string of poisonings in December and January.

Investigators, however, have found traces of the pesticide on the outside of the dumplings, rather than on the filling. The poison was also found in much higher concentrations than would be expected from residue from pesticides sprayed on vegetables.

Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said that pointed to deliberate poisoning, rather than accidental contamination.

"Judging from the circumstantial evidence, we'd have to think that it's highly likely to be a crime," he said. "That means we must let police investigate, and I hope the case would be resolved through our cooperation with China."

As Masuzoe spoke, a Japanese government delegation started an investigation in China, where they were meeting with their counterparts. The group plans to visit the dumpling factory where the food was produced.

About 20 top police investigators from the areas where the poisonings took place gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss the dumpling probe, and police in the two prefectures (states) Chiba and Hyogo -- the home of the 10 victims -- are now looking into the dumpling contamination as an attempted murder case.

Tsuyoshi Yoneda, head of the Criminal Affairs Bureau at the National Police Agency, said at the meeting that the case is a "serious threat to the food safety in our country."

"We are facing an extremely serious case," he said.

The contamination set off a nationwide scare last week and over the weekend. In addition to the 10 confirmed victims, more than 1,200 people have reported becoming ill after eating Tianyang products, though no link with the pesticide in the additional cases has been proven.

Authorities have ordered the recall of millions of bags of dumplings and other foods made by Tianyang, while many stores and restaurants in Japan have stopped offering Chinese products altogether.

Traces of the insecticide were found in the dumplings, on the packaging and in the vomit of the 10 people who were sickened. Investigators in western Japan also found traces on six bags of the dumplings recalled over the weekend.

Punctures were found in a handful of the bags that were recalled or tied to poisonings.

China's product safety agency conducted tests on the ingredients of Tianyang dumplings from the same batch sent to Japan, but found none of the insecticide cited by Japanese authorities.

The pesticide was not found in further tests on dumplings made in the 11-day period before and after the production dates of the two questionable batches, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said.

"If the Japanese side has some good suggestions and proposals, China is willing to heed their advice," he said.

Liu said he did not believe the dumpling case would damage relations, because it was an "individual case."

Some Japanese officials urged caution against jumping to conclusions about the source of the contamination.

Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said hasty remarks could easily damage fragile bilateral relations with China, which have improved since 2006 after years of tensions.

"We should stay calm at least on the government level in order to pursue our investigation," Komura said.