Tainted Rice Fed To Elderly

By Isabel Reynolds, Herald Sun

Japan

September 12, 2008

Tainted rice meant for industrial purposes was served in hospitals and homes for the elderly in Japan, prompting a criminal investigation into the food scandal.
The scam has unnerved consumers, whose trust in the food industry has been undermined in recent years by repeated quality and false labelling scandals over foods from sweets to meat.

"At the moment, there have been no reports of health damage because the density of pesticide residues and mould is low," chief government spokesman Nobutaka Machimura said.

"But it is a serious problem that products unfit for consumption were eaten at places like hospitals."

He said a criminal complaint had been filed against Mikasa Foods, which has apologised for selling the rice as higher-priced quality grain for food consumption when only industrial purposes such as its use in fertilisers or glue were allowed.

The Osaka-based company sold about 700kg of Chinese sticky rice contaminated with higher than permitted levels of organic pesticide methamidophos to catering company Nissin Healthcare Food Service, a Nissin spokesman said. It was used in meals served at 119 facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes and one nursery.

Mikasa Foods is also suspected of selling as food rice from China, Vietnam and the United States tainted with acetamiprid, another pesticide, or toxic mould, according to a ministry investigation.

The scandal has also affected drinks makers, including Asahi Breweries which was forced to recall 650,000 bottles of shochu, a vodka-like drink, some of which was found to have been manufactured using the contaminated rice.

Although Japan generally produces more rice than it consumes, it is obliged to import about 770,000 tonnes a year under international trade agreements.

Some is sold as table rice or to food manufacturers, but it is often kept in storage for long periods of time.

Food safety regulations were tightened in 2006, and the rice involved in the latest scandal was imported before that and no longer meets the standards for consumption.

The Government announced this week new rules to stop the sale of imported rice found to be unfit for consumption.

Traders previously had the option of selling such tainted rice for industrial use, but will in future be forced to ship it back.

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