In view of all the tainted food and mislabeling scandals, what is the consumer to do?

Friday 12th September, 04:11 AM JST

Latest 15 of 29 Total Comments Show All

MrMukatsuku at 02:54 PM JST - 12th September

Japan should get an organisation like this:

http://www.which.co.uk/

It has done more for consumer protection than any one else.

Oh, and for the Japanese version, make sure that the consumers organization is not endorsing a product because they were paid to endorse them.
gaijintraveller at 06:37 PM JST - 12th September

I feel imported foods are generally safer than those produced in Japan. Why? Because I think that imported foods are tested more stringently than those produced in this country. I do not believe the Ministry of Agriculture tests Japanese products that efficiently.
bushlover at 06:46 PM JST - 12th September

Diet?
Triple888 at 09:27 PM JST - 12th September

Grow their own food.
stanoue at 09:33 PM JST - 12th September

Haha maybe they could get a cheap and nasty tabloid show like "today tonight" on air which revels in bringing these controversies to light. Shame them into fixing it.
some14some at 10:57 PM JST - 12th September

Buy foreign food products from reliable grocery shops in Japan. Also, people in Japan should stop worrying about green emissions or second-hand smoke.
rjdsr at 03:18 AM JST - 13th September

I buy my food from a local guy. I ask him where it's from. He knows I want domestic, the safe stuff.
Thenewfront at 03:24 AM JST - 13th September

The consumer can not do much. I buy lots of Asian foods from China , Thailand and other s. Finjd out if the comnpany exports to US or Europe, if they do, the will usually have higher standards.
beavis at 10:56 AM JST - 13th September

what is the consumer to do?

chew slowly
bamboohat at 04:04 PM JST - 13th September

I prefer to run around outside, screaming, in a panic, hoping that some gentle superior entity from on high will come to comfort me...

Either that or chase all suspect food with a shot of whiskey, that usually does the trick...(kind of painful at breakfast, though..)
lipscombe at 06:46 PM JST - 13th September

punish the japanese individuals responsible for the majority of the food scandals in japan. no more suspended sentences, close the guilty companies down.
lipscombe at 06:49 PM JST - 13th September

I buy my food from a local guy. I ask him where it's from. He knows I want domestic, the safe stuff.

unless you know for sure it was grown in a local allotment then the guy you speak too is probably just as clueless. yes this spinach is from Chiba, these eels are from Iwate, no it's not from China, no a Japanese company didnt change the labelling and sell it at a 500% mark-up.
burikko at 10:15 PM JST - 13th September

punish the japanese individuals responsible for the majority of the food scandals in japan.

Is the ministry of agriculture (Government) not guilty?
Betting at 01:06 AM JST - 14th September

I think the consumer needs to get involved by taking a more active role in the political process. By taking an interest in whoever the candidates are at elections, by lobbying them and voting for those that will look after consumer interests things will change. But with the amount of apathy around, I can't really see that happening.

Simply saying, "I want domestic, safe stuff", simply isn't good enough. Domestically produced Japanese foodstuffs aren't safe. The recent scandals prove that, and we can go back years and look at minata-byo, all the dioxin coming from Tokorozawa as well as many others, it's all been catalogued and placed in the papers. In fact your local grocer might be one of those people involved and hasn't been busted yet.

Only by taking an interest and making the politicians turn things around will the country become safe again.
rjdsr at 05:07 PM JST - 15th September

I think the consumer needs to get involved by taking a more active role in the political process.

Mate, you should try stand up comedy!