Kyodo
Feb 9, 2008
The number of voluntary food recalls more than tripled in 2007 because of false-labeling scandals, according to a food safety inspection body.
The number of recalls initiated by manufacturers and retailers jumped to 756 from 237 in 2006, the Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center said Thursday. In 2005, there were 302, the state-affiliated body said.
Analysts said the number of recalls swelled as consumer confidence in food safety deteriorated following a spate of labeling scandals involving falsely advertised ingredients and altered use-by dates.
But the figure could shoot up further because of the fears being generated by the food-poisoning outbreak involving Chinese-made "gyoza" dumplings, the analysts said.
In 2007, labeling scandals, including falsification of use-by dates, topped the list of reasons for issuing recalls at 322 cases, or 42 percent of the total, followed by incomplete labeling in which additives were omitted, accounting for 111 cases, or 15 percent, and poor quality, which accounted for 102 cases, or 13 percent.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Twist in 'gyoza' case points to packaging
SEALED WRAP TAINTED, DUMPLINGS NOT
Feb 9, 2008
KOBE (Kyodo) The pesticide at the root of the "gyoza" food-poisoning scare has been found on the inner surface of a hermetically sealed package of the frozen Chinese-made dumplings, raising the possibility contamination took place either before or during the packaging process.
In a twist, however, the pesticide was detected on both the inner and outer sides of the packaging, but not in the fillings or the dough. No holes or scratches were found either, police said.
The package, one of 11 set aside by an Osaka supermarket, was tainted with the same pesticide, methamidophos, that sickened 10 people in Chiba and Hyogo prefectures starting in December.
China's quality control authorities have said no problems have been found in the way food or production is managed at the maker, Tianyang Food, in Hebei Province, and that methamidophos was not used at the factory, indicating the likelihood the dumplings were deliberately contaminated.
Chinese investigators have also found that the container carrying the suspect dumplings was never opened after leaving Tianyang Food and was loaded straight onto a ship bound for Japan at Tianjin port.
Police also said they have found methamidophos on the outside of a package that bore a tiny hole, but confirmed that none of the dumplings inside was tainted.
Both were among the 11 packages sent back by the Happiece Hirakata supermarket in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, after consumers complained the surfaces were sticky and smelled unusual.
The dumplings were imported by JT Foods Co., an affiliate of Japan Tobacco Inc., through intermediation by Sojitz Foods Corp., a subsidiary of trading house Sojitz Corp.
Of the 11 packages, six have been confirmed as tainted on the outside, and one as having pesticide on the outer and inner surfaces of the packaging and in the dough.
Police have collected 133 packages that were made on Oct. 1 — the same date that the dumplings in the food poisonings were manufactured, they said. So far, only 17 have been inspected.
The latest two cases bring the number of tainted gyoza packages to 11 since the food-poisoning scare broke last week.
Since the packages set aside by the supermarket likely arrived there in the same box used at the port from which they were imported, it is also possible the box was contaminated as a whole.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura warned the public against speculating on the cause of the contamination. A Chinese quality control official said the previous day that the dumplings could have been deliberately poisoned by people who want to harm relations between the two countries.
Methamidophos is a highly toxic organophosphate pesticide banned in Japan but still used in China.
'Gyoza' dates suspect
BEIJING (Kyodo) Pesticide-laced Chinese-made frozen "gyoza" dumplings that were sold in Japan and sickened some Japanese consumers were produced on a holiday and weekend when a smaller number of workers were on duty, Japanese sources said Friday.
Oct. 1 and Oct. 20, on which the dumplings contaminated with the highly toxic organophosphate pesticide methamidophos were produced, were a holiday and a Saturday, respectively. June 3, when dumplings containing the pesticide dichlorvos were made, was a Sunday, the sources said.
The dumplings were manufactured by Tianyang Food in Hebei Province, south of Beijing.
Earlier this week, Wei Chuanzhong, vice minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, told a Japanese government team that the contaminated frozen meat dumplings may have been poisoned on purpose by those who do not wish to see good relations between the two countries.
China's quality control authorities have said no problems were found in the food and production management on the part of the maker and that methamidophos was not used at its factory.
Chinese police are apparently questioning company employees who worked on the three days.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said Friday that investigations are still under way.
Feb 9, 2008
KOBE (Kyodo) The pesticide at the root of the "gyoza" food-poisoning scare has been found on the inner surface of a hermetically sealed package of the frozen Chinese-made dumplings, raising the possibility contamination took place either before or during the packaging process.
In a twist, however, the pesticide was detected on both the inner and outer sides of the packaging, but not in the fillings or the dough. No holes or scratches were found either, police said.
The package, one of 11 set aside by an Osaka supermarket, was tainted with the same pesticide, methamidophos, that sickened 10 people in Chiba and Hyogo prefectures starting in December.
China's quality control authorities have said no problems have been found in the way food or production is managed at the maker, Tianyang Food, in Hebei Province, and that methamidophos was not used at the factory, indicating the likelihood the dumplings were deliberately contaminated.
Chinese investigators have also found that the container carrying the suspect dumplings was never opened after leaving Tianyang Food and was loaded straight onto a ship bound for Japan at Tianjin port.
Police also said they have found methamidophos on the outside of a package that bore a tiny hole, but confirmed that none of the dumplings inside was tainted.
Both were among the 11 packages sent back by the Happiece Hirakata supermarket in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, after consumers complained the surfaces were sticky and smelled unusual.
The dumplings were imported by JT Foods Co., an affiliate of Japan Tobacco Inc., through intermediation by Sojitz Foods Corp., a subsidiary of trading house Sojitz Corp.
Of the 11 packages, six have been confirmed as tainted on the outside, and one as having pesticide on the outer and inner surfaces of the packaging and in the dough.
Police have collected 133 packages that were made on Oct. 1 — the same date that the dumplings in the food poisonings were manufactured, they said. So far, only 17 have been inspected.
The latest two cases bring the number of tainted gyoza packages to 11 since the food-poisoning scare broke last week.
Since the packages set aside by the supermarket likely arrived there in the same box used at the port from which they were imported, it is also possible the box was contaminated as a whole.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura warned the public against speculating on the cause of the contamination. A Chinese quality control official said the previous day that the dumplings could have been deliberately poisoned by people who want to harm relations between the two countries.
Methamidophos is a highly toxic organophosphate pesticide banned in Japan but still used in China.
'Gyoza' dates suspect
BEIJING (Kyodo) Pesticide-laced Chinese-made frozen "gyoza" dumplings that were sold in Japan and sickened some Japanese consumers were produced on a holiday and weekend when a smaller number of workers were on duty, Japanese sources said Friday.
Oct. 1 and Oct. 20, on which the dumplings contaminated with the highly toxic organophosphate pesticide methamidophos were produced, were a holiday and a Saturday, respectively. June 3, when dumplings containing the pesticide dichlorvos were made, was a Sunday, the sources said.
The dumplings were manufactured by Tianyang Food in Hebei Province, south of Beijing.
Earlier this week, Wei Chuanzhong, vice minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, told a Japanese government team that the contaminated frozen meat dumplings may have been poisoned on purpose by those who do not wish to see good relations between the two countries.
China's quality control authorities have said no problems were found in the food and production management on the part of the maker and that methamidophos was not used at its factory.
Chinese police are apparently questioning company employees who worked on the three days.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said Friday that investigations are still under way.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Most Japanese Back Antarctic `Research Whaling' in Asahi Survey
By Stuart Biggs
Bloomberg
Feb 8, 2008
Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Most Japanese people support Japan's ``research whaling'' expedition in the Southern Ocean in Antarctica in the face of mounting international opposition, an Asahi newspaper survey shows.
A total of 65 percent of respondents supported Japan's whale hunt in the survey, which the Asahi conducted by telephone on Feb. 2 and 3 among 2,082 registered voters. In the survey, 56 percent supported eating whale meat, with the number rising to 80 percent among men in their 40s, 50s and 60s, the newspaper said.
Opposition to eating whale meat was stronger among younger women, with 58 percent of women in their 20s objecting to the practice, the Asahi said. Overall opposition to Japan's research whaling was 21 percent, according to the survey. The newspaper did not publish the list of questions.
Japan's whaling fleet heads to Antarctica in November each year to kill as many as 1,000 minke and fin whales for what it says is ``scientific research.'' Australia's government is considering international legal action against Japan to stop the hunts, risking antagonizing relations with the world's second- largest economy.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Biggs in Tokyo at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net
Bloomberg
Feb 8, 2008
Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Most Japanese people support Japan's ``research whaling'' expedition in the Southern Ocean in Antarctica in the face of mounting international opposition, an Asahi newspaper survey shows.
A total of 65 percent of respondents supported Japan's whale hunt in the survey, which the Asahi conducted by telephone on Feb. 2 and 3 among 2,082 registered voters. In the survey, 56 percent supported eating whale meat, with the number rising to 80 percent among men in their 40s, 50s and 60s, the newspaper said.
Opposition to eating whale meat was stronger among younger women, with 58 percent of women in their 20s objecting to the practice, the Asahi said. Overall opposition to Japan's research whaling was 21 percent, according to the survey. The newspaper did not publish the list of questions.
Japan's whaling fleet heads to Antarctica in November each year to kill as many as 1,000 minke and fin whales for what it says is ``scientific research.'' Australia's government is considering international legal action against Japan to stop the hunts, risking antagonizing relations with the world's second- largest economy.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Biggs in Tokyo at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net
Two-thirds of Japanese back whaling: poll
AFP
Feb 8, 2008
A day after graphic pictures were released of the Japanese whaling fleet in action in the Southern Ocean, a poll in Japan has shown almost two-thirds of the population supports the practice.
Japan's government says whaling is part of the national culture and it has fought bitterly with Western nations over its annual hunt of some 1,000 whales in the Antarctic Ocean.
The Asahi Shimbun said 65 per cent of Japanese support continuing the whaling programme and that 56 per cent of people backed eating whale meat.
Support for whaling was strong among older men, with close to 80 per cent of men between 40 and 70 favouring eating whale meat.
But the the figure was nearly reversed among Japanese women in their 20s, among whom 58 per cent opposed eating whale.
The Asahi survey comes despite other statistics, often cited by environmentalists, pointing out that most Japanese do not eat whale meat, which is rarely found outside of speciality restaurants and stores.
Consumption of whale meat has decreased to 30 grams per person a year - equivalent to a slice of sashimi - compared with 2.5 kilograms in the early 1980s.
- AFP
Feb 8, 2008
A day after graphic pictures were released of the Japanese whaling fleet in action in the Southern Ocean, a poll in Japan has shown almost two-thirds of the population supports the practice.
Japan's government says whaling is part of the national culture and it has fought bitterly with Western nations over its annual hunt of some 1,000 whales in the Antarctic Ocean.
The Asahi Shimbun said 65 per cent of Japanese support continuing the whaling programme and that 56 per cent of people backed eating whale meat.
Support for whaling was strong among older men, with close to 80 per cent of men between 40 and 70 favouring eating whale meat.
But the the figure was nearly reversed among Japanese women in their 20s, among whom 58 per cent opposed eating whale.
The Asahi survey comes despite other statistics, often cited by environmentalists, pointing out that most Japanese do not eat whale meat, which is rarely found outside of speciality restaurants and stores.
Consumption of whale meat has decreased to 30 grams per person a year - equivalent to a slice of sashimi - compared with 2.5 kilograms in the early 1980s.
- AFP
Japanese support for whaling remains strong
By Julian Ryall in Tokyo
Feb 9, 2008
Two thirds of Japan supports the country's controversial whaling programme, while more than half want the animals' meat to appear on menus, according to new research.
'Shocking' pictures of Japanese whaling
Polling for the leading newspaper Asahi Shimbun suggested that the Japanese public was prepared to shrug off international criticism to support the continued "scientific research" by its whaling fleet. The survey came a day after the Australian government released pictures of a slain minke whale and its calf being hauled aboard a whaling ship.
Of the 56 per cent who support whales being slaughtered for food, the majority were men in their forties and above. Younger Japanese - particularly women - were opposed to the practice.
"The government tells us that there are plenty of whales out there and it is no more terrible than killing cows or pigs for food," said Masaaki Shigeno, a property dealer in his sixties.
"Whale has been an important part of our diet for hundreds of years, so it is part of our culture."
The figures surprised commentators yesterday. They may in part be a reaction to the condemnation that has rained down on Japan in recent weeks.
Feb 9, 2008
Two thirds of Japan supports the country's controversial whaling programme, while more than half want the animals' meat to appear on menus, according to new research.
'Shocking' pictures of Japanese whaling
Polling for the leading newspaper Asahi Shimbun suggested that the Japanese public was prepared to shrug off international criticism to support the continued "scientific research" by its whaling fleet. The survey came a day after the Australian government released pictures of a slain minke whale and its calf being hauled aboard a whaling ship.
Of the 56 per cent who support whales being slaughtered for food, the majority were men in their forties and above. Younger Japanese - particularly women - were opposed to the practice.
"The government tells us that there are plenty of whales out there and it is no more terrible than killing cows or pigs for food," said Masaaki Shigeno, a property dealer in his sixties.
"Whale has been an important part of our diet for hundreds of years, so it is part of our culture."
The figures surprised commentators yesterday. They may in part be a reaction to the condemnation that has rained down on Japan in recent weeks.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Japanese merger poisoned by Chinese dumplings scare
by Kyoko Hasegawa
Feb 6, 2008
(AFP) - One of Japan's leading food companies announced Wednesday it was pulling out of a high-profile merger involving the group that imported Chinese-made dumplings containing pesticide.
The move by Nissin Food Products Co., famous for pioneering instant noodles in the 1950s, is the biggest indication yet of the fallout to business from the health scare shaking Japan.
Thousands of Japanese have complained of illness -- with 10 diagnosed with pesticide poisoning -- after eating frozen meat dumplings which were made at a plant near the Chinese capital Beijing.
A Japanese team said on Wednesday it found no problems on a tour of the factory as a Chinese official visiting Tokyo made an emotional appeal for Japan not to jump to conclusions.
The dumplings were sold by a unit of Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT). The company, looking to branch out amid dwindling tobacco sales, agreed in November to merge its frozen food business with Nissin Food.
But Nissin said its board decided to cancel the deal with the now scandal-tainted tobacco giant.
"When food poisoning takes place, it is a universal rule that foodmakers should immediately take action, such as a recall," Nissin Food president Koki Ando told a news conference.
"But there seems to be a fundamental difference between us and JT about food safety issues," Ando said.
The tobacco company has been denounced for waiting one month to reveal the pesticide discovery, saying it needed time to verify that customers' illnesses were linked to the dumplings.
"From the bottom of my heart, I apologise for causing concerns about food safety," JT president Hiroshi Kimura told a separate news conference.
Under the proposed deal, JT last year bought major frozen food maker Katokichi Co. Ltd in a friendly one billion-dollar takeover. Nissin was then supposed to buy a 49 percent stake in Katokichi from the tobacco company, and then the three firms were to merge frozen-food operations.
China has been hit by a string of scandals over its products, raising fears for the massive manufacturing industry behind the nation's soaring growth.
Li Chunfeng, head of a Chinese delegation that held talks in Tokyo on the issue, denied suggestions by Japan's health minister, Yoichi Masuzoe, that the poisoning was deliberate, saying security was tight at factories.
"Today is the eve of the Lunar New Year in China. More than one billion people will eat dumplings tonight," he said. "I will eat dumplings myself tonight once I get back to Beijing."
"I hope the Japanese media will trust the governments both of Japan and China and report on this with calm," he said, nearly shedding tears.
China is Japan's largest trading partner and its second biggest supplier of imported food.
Japanese police said they found high levels of a pesticide, methamidophos, in dumplings made by Tianyang Food Co. near Beijing.
Another distributor, Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union, revealed that a second pesticide, dichlorvos, was also found on dumplings made by the Tianyang factory.
But a Japanese team toured the factory and found no abnormalities.
"The factory was clean and well-kept, and we did not find any problems during our tour," said Taiji Harashima, head of the Cabinet Office's Consumer Policy Division, as quoted by Kyodo News.
The market appeared relatively unconcerned about the effects on JT of the Nissin pullout.
JT shares fell 0.87 percent to 572,000 yen, performing better than the benchmark Nikkei-225 index which plummeted 4.70 percent on concerns over the state of the US economy.
Shares in Nissin, however, plunged 7.82 percent to 3,300 yen.
JT has been on a major expansion campaign. Last year it bought British rival Gallaher, behind brands such as Benson and Hedges and Silk Cut, for 19 billion dollars in the biggest-ever foreign acquisition by a Japanese firm.
Feb 6, 2008
(AFP) - One of Japan's leading food companies announced Wednesday it was pulling out of a high-profile merger involving the group that imported Chinese-made dumplings containing pesticide.
The move by Nissin Food Products Co., famous for pioneering instant noodles in the 1950s, is the biggest indication yet of the fallout to business from the health scare shaking Japan.
Thousands of Japanese have complained of illness -- with 10 diagnosed with pesticide poisoning -- after eating frozen meat dumplings which were made at a plant near the Chinese capital Beijing.
A Japanese team said on Wednesday it found no problems on a tour of the factory as a Chinese official visiting Tokyo made an emotional appeal for Japan not to jump to conclusions.
The dumplings were sold by a unit of Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT). The company, looking to branch out amid dwindling tobacco sales, agreed in November to merge its frozen food business with Nissin Food.
But Nissin said its board decided to cancel the deal with the now scandal-tainted tobacco giant.
"When food poisoning takes place, it is a universal rule that foodmakers should immediately take action, such as a recall," Nissin Food president Koki Ando told a news conference.
"But there seems to be a fundamental difference between us and JT about food safety issues," Ando said.
The tobacco company has been denounced for waiting one month to reveal the pesticide discovery, saying it needed time to verify that customers' illnesses were linked to the dumplings.
"From the bottom of my heart, I apologise for causing concerns about food safety," JT president Hiroshi Kimura told a separate news conference.
Under the proposed deal, JT last year bought major frozen food maker Katokichi Co. Ltd in a friendly one billion-dollar takeover. Nissin was then supposed to buy a 49 percent stake in Katokichi from the tobacco company, and then the three firms were to merge frozen-food operations.
China has been hit by a string of scandals over its products, raising fears for the massive manufacturing industry behind the nation's soaring growth.
Li Chunfeng, head of a Chinese delegation that held talks in Tokyo on the issue, denied suggestions by Japan's health minister, Yoichi Masuzoe, that the poisoning was deliberate, saying security was tight at factories.
"Today is the eve of the Lunar New Year in China. More than one billion people will eat dumplings tonight," he said. "I will eat dumplings myself tonight once I get back to Beijing."
"I hope the Japanese media will trust the governments both of Japan and China and report on this with calm," he said, nearly shedding tears.
China is Japan's largest trading partner and its second biggest supplier of imported food.
Japanese police said they found high levels of a pesticide, methamidophos, in dumplings made by Tianyang Food Co. near Beijing.
Another distributor, Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union, revealed that a second pesticide, dichlorvos, was also found on dumplings made by the Tianyang factory.
But a Japanese team toured the factory and found no abnormalities.
"The factory was clean and well-kept, and we did not find any problems during our tour," said Taiji Harashima, head of the Cabinet Office's Consumer Policy Division, as quoted by Kyodo News.
The market appeared relatively unconcerned about the effects on JT of the Nissin pullout.
JT shares fell 0.87 percent to 572,000 yen, performing better than the benchmark Nikkei-225 index which plummeted 4.70 percent on concerns over the state of the US economy.
Shares in Nissin, however, plunged 7.82 percent to 3,300 yen.
JT has been on a major expansion campaign. Last year it bought British rival Gallaher, behind brands such as Benson and Hedges and Silk Cut, for 19 billion dollars in the biggest-ever foreign acquisition by a Japanese firm.
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.
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.
Italian farmers pin beef hopes on Japanese cows
By Svetlana Kovalyova
Feb 5, 2008
COMAZZO, Italy (Reuters Life!) - A farm near Milan is raising Japanese Wagyu cows to woo meat-loving Italians with the world's most expensive Kobe steaks.
The Italians are hoping the tender, marbled beef will revive falling beef consumption and give their profits a boost.
Described by one chef as "the Ferrari of meat," Kobe has been making inroads in Italy even though it costs about 100 euros ($148.2) per kg to buy. That's twice the price of Italy's Fiorentina T-bone steaks from Chianina cows.
Chocolate-colored Yoko, Waghino and Hirino, stumbling in their stall on a farm just south of Milan, are about a month old and are the first Wagyu calves to be born in Italy. They come from embryos imported from Australia.
They will be meticulously reared and coddled for 2-3 years, with massages and a diet including beer to give them the famous marble-like meat texture webbed with fat veins for the first "Made in Italy" Kobe steak to land on someone's plate.
Matteo Scibilia, chef at a haute cuisine restaurant near Milan and an adviser to Italian retailer Metro, cannot wait to give his connoisseur clients a taste.
"There is a demand for high quality meat. Kobe beef may sell for 300 euros a kilo in a restaurant. It is a niche product, like a Ferrari for meat," said Scibilia, who currently uses imported Kobe beef at his restaurant, Osteria della Buona Condotta.
Fausto Cremonesi, veterinary professor at Milan's Universita degli Studi and a driving force behind the plan to raise Wagyu cows in Italy, said the project is aimed at boosting farmers' dwindling profits as well as reviving demand.
"This meat has very specific qualities. Our goal is to offer it to Italian consumers, to have it arriving fresh to our tables, without traveling thousands of kilometers," he said.
Scibilia said a sight of the raw meat with its trademark marbled fat may put off some health-conscious diners at first, but the tenderness and rich flavor would win their hearts.
Cremonesi said Kobe beef is low cholesterol, rich in antioxidants and its fat is easy to digest.
BEEFING UP PROFITS
Farmers and veterinary surgeons involved in the 42,000 euro pilot project to breed Wagyu cows in Italy believe it will pay off as a grown Wagyu cow may sell for about 100 times more than a typical Italian one.
"It is worth it ... It can turn into a profitable business," said Rosangela Garlappi, a vet who spent sleepless nights when the calves were born at her family farm and one of them fell ill.
Garlappi, who has about 300 milk cattle at her farm, said it was difficult to forecast profits, but any gain would be welcome as a standard milk calf sells for about 0.80-1.20 euros per kilo -- barely enough to cover production costs.
Italian cattle farmers struggled last year to pass on higher animal feed costs on the back of a rally in grain prices, while domestic meat demand fell.
Beef consumption in Italy -- weak in the past few years after a mad cow disease scare -- fell 4.2 percent in the first 10 months of 2007 as food price hikes forced Italians to trim spending, said Italy's major farming body Coldiretti.
Farmers aim to have a Wagyu herd of about 200 cows in Italy in a few years, said Ernesto Beretta, a veterinary researcher who works on the project for Coldiretti.
(Additional reporting by Chikafumi Hodo in Tokyo, editing by Paul Casciato)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
China toxic dumplings spark food scare in Japan
Jan 31, 2008
TOKYO (Reuters) - Dozens more people in Japan on Thursday said they fell sick after eating Chinese-made food, a day after Japanese food companies recalled pesticide-contaminated dumplings from China that sickened 10 people.
The food scare has triggered a nationwide probe into possible additional cases of food poisoning, while Japan's top government spokesman questioned China's attitude to food safety only weeks after the country said it had improved standards.
Japanese media and opposition lawmakers have also suggested Japan's initial response to the problem may have been too slow.
"I have two children, boys aged four and two. They love dumplings. Japanese people love dumplings," said Democratic Party parliamentarian Yuichiro Hata. "This is something that threatens peoples' lives."
Japan Tobacco Inc said on Wednesday its subsidiary, JT Foods Co., would recall the frozen dumplings and other food made at the same Chinese factory, as television broadcasters flashed warnings to viewers not to eat the products.
Around 80 people in Japan have complained of getting sick from eating food made in China, TV Asahi said. Restaurants and schools took Chinese-made food off their menus, other media said.
The scandal is the latest in a string of disputes over the safety of Chinese products from toys to toothpaste. Earlier this month, China declared that its campaign to ensure food and product safety had been a complete success.
"I don't want to think that there is any difference among countries concerning food safety, but it seems there was a sense on the Chinese side that 'this is probably ok'," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told a news conference.
"We want the Chinese side to properly investigate the situation," he added, pointing out that China was hit by a series of food safety scares last year.
The Health Ministry has told 19 companies selling products made at the Chinese factory in question not sell the goods until they have been declared safe for consumption, it said in a statement.
Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe told a parliamentary committee that as of Thursday morning, the government had been consulted by several prefectures but the checks were ongoing and there had so far been no official confirmation of other cases of poisoning.
"The government will collect further information and first, prevent the spread of harm, clarify the cause and take steps to prevent a reoccurrence," Masuzoe said.
China's quality watchdog said late on Wednesday that it had begun an investigation into the affair.
"After we found out this news, we paid great attention to it," China's quality regulator said in an emailed statement.
"We quickly got in touch with relevant parties on the Japanese side to understand the situation, and have already set about investigations," it added. "We will release the results of the probe in a timely manner."
Japan has not been immune to its own food scares. A number of Japanese confectioners admitted last year to having mislabeled production and expiry dates for cookies and rice cakes.
No widespread health hazards, however, have hit the country since more than 10,000 people suffered food poisoning after drinking tainted milk in 2000.
(Reporting by Linda Sieg, Chisa Fujioka and George Nishiyama in Tokyo and Ben Blanchard in Beijing)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Dozens more people in Japan on Thursday said they fell sick after eating Chinese-made food, a day after Japanese food companies recalled pesticide-contaminated dumplings from China that sickened 10 people.
The food scare has triggered a nationwide probe into possible additional cases of food poisoning, while Japan's top government spokesman questioned China's attitude to food safety only weeks after the country said it had improved standards.
Japanese media and opposition lawmakers have also suggested Japan's initial response to the problem may have been too slow.
"I have two children, boys aged four and two. They love dumplings. Japanese people love dumplings," said Democratic Party parliamentarian Yuichiro Hata. "This is something that threatens peoples' lives."
Japan Tobacco Inc said on Wednesday its subsidiary, JT Foods Co., would recall the frozen dumplings and other food made at the same Chinese factory, as television broadcasters flashed warnings to viewers not to eat the products.
Around 80 people in Japan have complained of getting sick from eating food made in China, TV Asahi said. Restaurants and schools took Chinese-made food off their menus, other media said.
The scandal is the latest in a string of disputes over the safety of Chinese products from toys to toothpaste. Earlier this month, China declared that its campaign to ensure food and product safety had been a complete success.
"I don't want to think that there is any difference among countries concerning food safety, but it seems there was a sense on the Chinese side that 'this is probably ok'," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told a news conference.
"We want the Chinese side to properly investigate the situation," he added, pointing out that China was hit by a series of food safety scares last year.
The Health Ministry has told 19 companies selling products made at the Chinese factory in question not sell the goods until they have been declared safe for consumption, it said in a statement.
Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe told a parliamentary committee that as of Thursday morning, the government had been consulted by several prefectures but the checks were ongoing and there had so far been no official confirmation of other cases of poisoning.
"The government will collect further information and first, prevent the spread of harm, clarify the cause and take steps to prevent a reoccurrence," Masuzoe said.
China's quality watchdog said late on Wednesday that it had begun an investigation into the affair.
"After we found out this news, we paid great attention to it," China's quality regulator said in an emailed statement.
"We quickly got in touch with relevant parties on the Japanese side to understand the situation, and have already set about investigations," it added. "We will release the results of the probe in a timely manner."
Japan has not been immune to its own food scares. A number of Japanese confectioners admitted last year to having mislabeled production and expiry dates for cookies and rice cakes.
No widespread health hazards, however, have hit the country since more than 10,000 people suffered food poisoning after drinking tainted milk in 2000.
(Reporting by Linda Sieg, Chisa Fujioka and George Nishiyama in Tokyo and Ben Blanchard in Beijing)
Japan calls on China to step up food safety
Jan 31, 2008
TOKYO - Japan called on China Thursday to review its food safety standards amid a nationwide scare after at least 10 people fell ill from eating frozen dumplings made in China.
The Japanese cabinet held an emergency meeting to discuss action after the food poisoning, as television networks broadcast horror stories from people who said they felt near death after eating the dumplings.
Authorities were investigating more reported cases of people falling ill since the news broke Wednesday, as a five-year-old girl remained in serious condition.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, the government's number two, tried to reassure consumers that Japan already has standing discussions with China, its top trading partner, on the safety of food imports.
"We don't want to think that different countries have different standards on safety. But perhaps the Chinese side might have thought things are OK as they've said they're '99 percent safe,'" Machimura told a press conference.
"Despite the claim, these incidents are happening. We want the Chinese authorities to investigate what happened. That's where we will start," he said.
Japan already called on China to ensure safety standards following scandals over Chinese-made pet food and toys sickening animals and endangering children in the United States.
China has been hit hard by increasingly frequent reports of dangerous products being recalled overseas ranging from seafood and vegetables to tires and toys.
Machimura said Japan has invited Chinese officials to come to learn about chemical residues and inspection technologies.
TV Asahi interviewed family members in the western town of Takasago who said they spent between 10 days to three weeks in hospitals after eating the dumplings.
"They tasted bitter. I felt dizzy some 30 seconds after I had them and collapsed," said an 18-year-old boy, who like other family members asked not to be identified.
Five minutes later his 51-year-old father's body started twitching.
"With so much nausea and diarrhea, I thought for two days that I was dying," he said.
The 47-year-old mother said she could not walk or talk.
"My whole body was paralyzed and my eyes kept watering," she said. "I don't want to buy frozen food anymore."
TOKYO - Japan called on China Thursday to review its food safety standards amid a nationwide scare after at least 10 people fell ill from eating frozen dumplings made in China.
The Japanese cabinet held an emergency meeting to discuss action after the food poisoning, as television networks broadcast horror stories from people who said they felt near death after eating the dumplings.
Authorities were investigating more reported cases of people falling ill since the news broke Wednesday, as a five-year-old girl remained in serious condition.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, the government's number two, tried to reassure consumers that Japan already has standing discussions with China, its top trading partner, on the safety of food imports.
"We don't want to think that different countries have different standards on safety. But perhaps the Chinese side might have thought things are OK as they've said they're '99 percent safe,'" Machimura told a press conference.
"Despite the claim, these incidents are happening. We want the Chinese authorities to investigate what happened. That's where we will start," he said.
Japan already called on China to ensure safety standards following scandals over Chinese-made pet food and toys sickening animals and endangering children in the United States.
China has been hit hard by increasingly frequent reports of dangerous products being recalled overseas ranging from seafood and vegetables to tires and toys.
Machimura said Japan has invited Chinese officials to come to learn about chemical residues and inspection technologies.
TV Asahi interviewed family members in the western town of Takasago who said they spent between 10 days to three weeks in hospitals after eating the dumplings.
"They tasted bitter. I felt dizzy some 30 seconds after I had them and collapsed," said an 18-year-old boy, who like other family members asked not to be identified.
Five minutes later his 51-year-old father's body started twitching.
"With so much nausea and diarrhea, I thought for two days that I was dying," he said.
The 47-year-old mother said she could not walk or talk.
"My whole body was paralyzed and my eyes kept watering," she said. "I don't want to buy frozen food anymore."
Japan to certify cuisine but no 'sushi police'
Jan 29, 2008
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan launched a campaign Tuesday to certify authentic Japanese food overseas, but insisted it was only promoting its cuisine rather than setting up a "sushi police."
Promoters unveiled a logo that will identify "real" Japanese restaurants overseas -- a pair of chopsticks holding a cherry petal set in front of a red rising-sun flag.
The effort is led by a non-governmental group of experts set up in July with the blessing of the agriculture ministry, although organisers said it will open offices in various countries to do local appraisals.
The body has so far opened bureaus in Bangkok, Shanghai and Taipei and plans to expand to Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles and Paris by the end of March.
"We are not aiming at something like a sushi police aiming to crack down on inauthentic restaurants," said a member of the Organisation to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad, declining to be named.
"Our objective is to promote Japanese food, not eliminate Japanese restaurants."
The campaign when first announced was mocked by some Western media as a futile effort at a time when Japanese food is growing in popularity across the world.
To qualify for certification, applicants are required to use Japanese rice and seasoning along with traditional ingredients. Restaurants must also show knowledge of Japanese recipes and proper hygiene.
Restaurants must also clear at least two of five criteria such as originality, dish arrangement and customer service.
"It's important to share the heart that goes into authentic Japanese food with chefs around the world, but we can't force them," said Yukio Hattori, a board member of the certification body and president of Hattori Nutrition College.
"We also have a history of fusion dishes between Japanese and French, Italian or Chinese food," Hattori, a noted food critic, told AFP.
"I think we should aim to have two wheels -- one is authenticity and the other is the local quality of Japanese food in each country," he said.
The organisation will hold a conference on March 27 and 28 in Tokyo to explain the system, inviting restaurant owners and others from around the world.
Japanese officials and tourists have voiced growing alarm at what they see as vile imitations of their cuisine overseas, fearing that Japanese food will go the way of Chinese cuisine in North America and Europe.
The ubiquitous California roll is a case in point. The vegetarian sushi dish, which replaces sushi with avocado or cucumbers and may include cream cheese, is unrecognisable to most Japanese.
Japan estimates 25,000 restaurants around the world purport to serve Japanese food and that the number is expected to double in a few years amid perceptions that the cuisine is healthy.
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan launched a campaign Tuesday to certify authentic Japanese food overseas, but insisted it was only promoting its cuisine rather than setting up a "sushi police."
Promoters unveiled a logo that will identify "real" Japanese restaurants overseas -- a pair of chopsticks holding a cherry petal set in front of a red rising-sun flag.
The effort is led by a non-governmental group of experts set up in July with the blessing of the agriculture ministry, although organisers said it will open offices in various countries to do local appraisals.
The body has so far opened bureaus in Bangkok, Shanghai and Taipei and plans to expand to Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles and Paris by the end of March.
"We are not aiming at something like a sushi police aiming to crack down on inauthentic restaurants," said a member of the Organisation to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad, declining to be named.
"Our objective is to promote Japanese food, not eliminate Japanese restaurants."
The campaign when first announced was mocked by some Western media as a futile effort at a time when Japanese food is growing in popularity across the world.
To qualify for certification, applicants are required to use Japanese rice and seasoning along with traditional ingredients. Restaurants must also show knowledge of Japanese recipes and proper hygiene.
Restaurants must also clear at least two of five criteria such as originality, dish arrangement and customer service.
"It's important to share the heart that goes into authentic Japanese food with chefs around the world, but we can't force them," said Yukio Hattori, a board member of the certification body and president of Hattori Nutrition College.
"We also have a history of fusion dishes between Japanese and French, Italian or Chinese food," Hattori, a noted food critic, told AFP.
"I think we should aim to have two wheels -- one is authenticity and the other is the local quality of Japanese food in each country," he said.
The organisation will hold a conference on March 27 and 28 in Tokyo to explain the system, inviting restaurant owners and others from around the world.
Japanese officials and tourists have voiced growing alarm at what they see as vile imitations of their cuisine overseas, fearing that Japanese food will go the way of Chinese cuisine in North America and Europe.
The ubiquitous California roll is a case in point. The vegetarian sushi dish, which replaces sushi with avocado or cucumbers and may include cream cheese, is unrecognisable to most Japanese.
Japan estimates 25,000 restaurants around the world purport to serve Japanese food and that the number is expected to double in a few years amid perceptions that the cuisine is healthy.
Chinese dumplings sicken 10 Japanese
Jan 30, 2008
TOKYO - Ten Japanese were sickened, including a child who fell into a coma, after eating Chinese-made dumplings contaminated with insecticide, police and health officials said Wednesday.
Three people in western Hyogo prefecture (state) and seven in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo suffered severe abdominal pains, vomiting and diarrhea after eating the frozen dumplings imported from China by a Japanese company, the Health Ministry said.
A 5-year-old girl in Chiba regained consciousness after falling into a coma, and her mother, two brothers and a sister were in serious condition, Chiba police official Masaru Hiratsu said.
Investigators found traces of an organic phosphorus insecticide called methamidophos in the dumplings, their containers and the patients' vomit, the ministry said in a statement. Authorities were attempting to determine the source of contamination.
The ministry ordered the dumplings' importer and distributor, JT Foods Co. Ltd. — an affiliate of Japan's largest tobacco company — to recall the product.
The dumplings were imported in November from Chinese manufacturer Hebei Foodstuffs Import & Export Group Tianyang Food Processing, the ministry said.
In Beijing, telephones were not answered at the General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, which oversees the safety of China's exports. The agency's Web site made no mention of the incident.
Japan's minister in charge of food safety, Fumio Kishida, said the incident prompted "grave concerns" and vowed to take urgent measures, though he did not elaborate.
JT Foods distributed 13 tons of dumplings each in Chiba and Hyogo, the ministry said.
JT Foods voluntarily began recalling the dumplings and 22 other products imported from the Chinese company and dispatched officials to investigate the Chinese plant, JT spokeswoman Yukiko Seto said.
China's exports have come under intense scrutiny in the past year after a number of potentially deadly chemicals were found in goods including toothpaste, toys, pet food and seafood.
China's government launched a four-month campaign last August to improve the quality of Chinese products and restore international confidence in its goods. Officials termed the campaign a success.
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