Tokyo firm sells frozen veggies mixed with Chinese-grown as domestic

Tuesday 11th November, 05:37 AM JST

TOKYO —

A Tokyo-based food processing company said Monday that it mixed Chinese-grown vegetables with domestic ones to produce frozen vegetables and sold the products to food sellers as purely domestic vegetables from around 2001 until very recently. ‘‘Our Nagasaki plant carried out the false labeling at its own discretion,’’ the president of Cassey Co, Toshihachi Abe, said at a press conference. ‘‘We sincerely apologize to consumers and our clients. We’ll conduct an inspection to clarify the facts of the incident.’‘

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has already carried out an inspection and is set to issue an improvement order to Cassey by the end of this week in line with the law pertaining to the Japan Agricultural Standards. The company’s Nagasaki plant, based in the city of Minamishimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture, mixed Chinese vegetables into three kinds of frozen vegetables—broccoli, beans and aroids—and sold them to six to seven companies, Abe said. Food seller Maruha Nichiro Foods Inc has said Cassey produced some foods carrying the Maruha Nichiro Foods brand and that Maruha Nichiro stopped shipment of four such items at the end of October.

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Latest 15 of 23 Total Comments Show All

yasukuni at 08:52 PM JST - 10th November

Disillusioned. Its not just the food industry. Its everywhere in Japanese business. They deceive for years then later when they go on tv the cry tears of remorse. Usually one business in an industry gets caught and everyone acts outraged, then they find out its widespread. Usually the surprise is not they have been doing the wrong thing, but rather why it got uncovered and hit the news.
OssanAmerica at 08:58 PM JST - 10th November

This is marketing fraud and misrepresentation. As bad as it is, at least no one seems to have gotten sick or died from it. Or are we now so ingrained into thinking that the mere presence of any "Chinese" vegetables is the equivalent of attempted poisoning?
smithinjapan at 09:02 PM JST - 10th November

If this person is admitting things now, it means it's far worse than it really is. In all likelihood they've been doing it a LOT longer than they say, but just picked a date not TOO long ago to assuage the crowd with the bowing and apologizing. If anyone comes on here and whines about how unsafe Chinese food is from now on -- and that's on ANY thread -- they need only a quick reminder of the dozens of reports of scandals here.

‘‘We sincerely apologize to consumers and our clients. We’ll conduct an inspection to clarify the facts of the incident.’’

And while you're at it, why not promise it'll never happen again? Ah, that's right... because you'll strictly enforce how NOT to get caught while continuing to dupe the locals.
TokyoGas at 10:10 PM JST - 10th November

If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times.... "And the hits just keep on comin'"
Betting at 11:02 PM JST - 10th November

"If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times.... "And the hits just keep on comin'".

Spot on, just how long will it take for these food scandals to dry up? I'm really too scared to even try to answer that one.
GW at 11:02 PM JST - 10th November

As the saying goes ""anything is OK! unless you get caught""

this is the Jpn　motto
medievaltimes at 12:35 AM JST - 11th November

I once had a high ranking executive of a company tell me, "In Japan, if you play by the rules it is hard to compete. There are many unwritten rules in our culture."

I didn't fully understand what he was talking about at first. But as time went by it became more and more clear.
OssanAmerica at 02:28 AM JST - 11th November

If anyone comes on here and whines about how unsafe Chinese food is from >now on -- and that's on ANY thread -- they need only a quick reminder of >the dozens of reports of scandals here.

So you can't tell the difference between false labeling and people getting sick or dying?
ca1ic0cat at 03:08 AM JST - 11th November

yep, here we go again. What did this start with, snow brand? Over a year ago? It seems like every type of food can no longer be assumed to be what the label says it is. If that is the case what can the consumers do about it? I'm stumped. It would appear that we are all royally screwed.
DerekTrotter at 03:45 AM JST - 11th November

What's all the bovver. The punters didn't suss it, did they?

If japanese veg is so much better , everyone would have complained innit?

But nobody noticed, ha ha, so much for refined tastes. Give me good old British veg anytime, lovely jubbly.
DerekTrotter at 03:55 AM JST - 11th November

OssanAmerica- Where does it say anyone get sick or anythink from eating these veg?
usaexpat at 05:17 AM JST - 11th November

If you want to know where your produce comes from and how its grown buy from a local farmer. We met an prganic farming couple and now not only have better vegitables but new friends as well.
soldave at 10:08 AM JST - 11th November

"We’ll conduct an inspection to clarify the facts of the incident."

I'll bet 10 yen that the results of the inspection to clarify the facts will never be made public.
thepro at 10:52 AM JST - 11th November

I never believe any restaurant or company in Japan anymore that says their stuff is homegrown - especially if it's cheap.
1eyedjack at 05:13 PM JST - 12th November

So here's the deal. Thses guys have been doing this since 2001... a good 7 years now. This was way before the economic downturn that has recently hit Japan and the world markets. So what exactly has been the reason for all the lies and deceit... sheer greed ? We consumers are sick of the fruad and blatant lies coming out of this nations agricultural industry. Shut Cassey foods down immediately !