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Posted on 01/31/2008 2:04:34 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
China toxic dumplings spark food scare in Japan
By George Nishiyama
Thu Jan 31, 1:50 AM ET
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 Chinese Embassy in Japan said the company involved had been banned from exporting, and the police were helping the national quality watchdog probe the case. But it also asked Japan to provide more information.
"The Chinese side is willing to proactively cooperate, to get to the bottom of this matter as soon as possible," the embassy said in a statement on its Web site (www.china-embassy.or.jp).
An official at China's quality watchdog told Reuters there was an "initial conclusion" to the investigation, but the official would not elaborate, saying only that it would hold a news conference later in the day.
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 reoccurance," Masuzoe said.
Japan has not been immune to its own food scares. A number of Japanese confectioners admitted last year to having wrongly labeled 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.
(Additional reporting by Linda Sieg and Chisa Fujioka in Tokyo and Ben Blanchard in Beijing)
That way, it would be even.:-)
Ping!
What's the problem? You have to kill the cockroaches in the dumplings somehow.
Another case of buying with concern for price only, some importer and distributors are waking up today very concerned about reading their company names in the papers.
“Dumpling” is pretty generic. I wish their translation was more specific. I’m curious because I know there are different JT brand products at the Asian grocery store we go to sometimes. We even bought some JT frozen gyoza once. But they were kind of expensive and the homemade gyoza my wife makes are better.
Gator ,
They are talking about frozen gyoza from China . We never buy frozen crap like that . My wife doesn’t make her own , but we buy good stuff that isn’t frozen .
Yeah, we ate the fresh when we were in Japan too but there’s a few less options once you’re back in the States. We tried the frozen kind just to see, but like I said, Atsuko makes much better so we eat hers now.
Youa haf to eat oua sh*t! WE make cheap! You gotta buy oua stuff! WE need mo dorrars to buy U.S. gova mint!!!!
” I’m very surprised they don’t have an extensive food labeling program. “
Not as extensive as the US , but they do have a program . Don’t know if this particular product was labeled MADE IN CHINA or not .
Saw this on NHK last night. You’d think that people were dropping like flies the way they were reporting it.
Weird.
Gyoza is easy to make and it’s a fun family activity at my place. Tastes much better than anything you buy at a store.
I even make a semi-Mexican version. Taco filler with chopped onions, a little cheddar cheese, a splash of tabasco. Yum!
Might have to give that a try.
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