Tainted-rice scandal prompts recall of 1 million bottles of 'shochu'

Sunday 14th September, 06:59 AM JST

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suebe36d at 10:50 AM JST - 14th September

Please publish list of makers who used the tainted rice. Don't we have a right to know?
bamboohat at 10:59 AM JST - 14th September

In order for these companies to not go out of business, they are going to have to find way to recoup their losses, which they will obvioulsy do by raising the prices of shochu and of rice. This will just add to the growing list of things troubling the current Japanese economy. I certainly wouldn't want to be the next PM.

I just hope that people are clear this this whole problem was caused by the willful deception of the Japanese people, by a Japanese company, and nothing else.
warispeace at 11:00 AM JST - 14th September

Misaka FOODS has been purchasing huge amounts of cheap industrial-use rice since 2004 from the GOVERNMENT. Shouldn't a red flag have gone up?

The Japanese public should wake up, get out on the street and demand the firing and even the prosecuting of public officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries who were either being paid off, wined and dined to keep quiet or just asleep on the tatami.

As for the companies involved, they should lose their licence to do business and everyone who participated should be prosecuted.

What am I paying taxes to regulators for? Enough!
serindipity at 11:09 AM JST - 14th September

The saddest thing is, they will only be charged with unethical business practices and will not face criminal charges for distributing poisoned foods. Also, the apathetic reactions of most Japanese is quite disappointing. All the people I have discussed this with just shrug it off and say, "Japan has a lot of problems with food." Somehow, I fear this is only the tip of the iceberg. How many more companies are doing the same thing?
x0x0xx00x0 at 11:51 AM JST - 14th September

There has been numerous cases of food companies lying to consumers about their contents. Somehow, in most of these cases, the consumer forgets after two weeks of media coverage. I find it amazing that a public apology on TV has and will manage to save companies in their scandals.

I have also found that the news coverage in Japan does not provide consumers with necessary information. As suebe has mentioned, getting a list of products that contain tainted rice would assist in the consumer's decision making. When the consumer stop buying from these food makers for their choice of suppliers, maybe they will start realizing that they should start choosing their suppliers more carefully. As a food maker, if you are charging the consumer for the food, you also have a duty to make sure that there is no poison in there. Generally, food makers need more cautionary tales. Unless there are more stories of how companies went out of business from these scandals, they will have no incentive to clean up their act.
doedel at 11:57 AM JST - 14th September

But, but .... isn't the distilling cleaning out unwanted stuff?

Gimme free booze :-)
Mark_McCracken at 12:52 PM JST - 14th September

The most dangerous thing in the shochu is the alcohol.
Alan at 01:28 PM JST - 14th September

According to the Japanese edition of Asahi Shinbun, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Ota, stated in an interview that the contamination has had no effect on humans, and that people shouldn't make a fuss. The interview was with Nippon BS Broadcasting.
serindipity at 04:59 PM JST - 14th September

the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Ota, stated in an interview that the contamination has had no effect on humans, and that people shouldn't make a fuss.

Nice! So, let's play down the whole incident. He should have said, "The contamination has had no IMMEDIATE effect on humans. As for future cases of cancer and related illnesses being linked to this disgusting act, we'll figure out a way of downplaying them too. We'll blame the Chinese for deliberately sending tons of toxic dust over from the Gobi."
meanmutha at 07:43 PM JST - 14th September

sh.....i....t I bought a bottle today. The shelves were bare, and I grabbed the 25% and then I saw the news. Wish me luck boys.
fatloser at 09:01 PM JST - 14th September

Can the recall system be trusted? I think most of it will be repackaged and sold.
Freespeech at 10:31 PM JST - 14th September

So, sake as well is suspect ?

What is new to me is that I used to believe o-sake was made with the most perfect white polished pure ethnically guaranteed nihon o-kome. In short, the drink of the (japanese) gods, nothing less...

Shochu, I have never known very well and never really cared, just thought it could be mixed with gasoline when we run short of oil derivates.

Anyhow, drink wine !
Nessie at 12:54 AM JST - 15th September

Good call, Mark.
moderateguy2008 at 12:59 AM JST - 15th September

Send those responsible to jail with hard labor. Seize all their assets and give the money to alcoholic help groups.

These businness guys need real punishments, get real Japan, make the bad guys pay!!!
chibaman at 03:27 AM JST - 15th September

The head honch is going to the slammer and the company is finished.

Misaka FOODS has been purchasing huge amounts of cheap industrial-use rice since 2004 from the GOVERNMENT. Shouldn't a red flag have gone up?

The ag ministry visited them 96 times over that period, and in some months up to 7 or 8 times, so something was definitely up. Story goes all of these visits were pre-announced though and Misaka made everything all pretty and nice for when they came with false invoices and fresh green tea and what not, so there's no fault on the ministry's part for selling inedible rice to a food company and being unable to detect any breaches of contract (cough).