Why are food scandals surfacing one after another and what can be done about it?

Thursday 30th October, 05:03 AM JST

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Spidey at 10:18 AM JST - 30th October

It's time for the government to grow some melon balls and start punishing those companies/CEOs that put profit before public safety. This has been going on for so long because the companies knew that they could get away with it. Until now. Unfortunately, companies are tightening their ships for all the wrong reasons...punishment. And not for the right reasons...moral obligation. If given the opportunity to deceive again, most likely the majority of companies would take it.

S
BlackFlag at 10:19 AM JST - 30th October

less bowing, more prison time
ptolemy at 11:05 AM JST - 30th October

Why? Greed. What can be done? Apply same statndards to domestic companies as foreign ones. One slip up no more business in Japan, and a nice long stay in the slammer for the top execs.
bamboohat at 01:10 PM JST - 30th October

Why? who knows. who cares.

What to do? Remember who messes up, and don't buy their stuff.

Maybe some grocer might get the bright idea of listing all suspected food makers, in a service to the consumer, in hopes of drumming up more business.
Lieutenant at 01:16 PM JST - 30th October

Economy is going down the toilet. Business climate becoming as difficult as a humid summer. Can't compete fairly, so lie. Lie until you're caught, and then bow hands and knees to the floor. Get up, and start doing it again when someone else is bowing.
outofmydepth at 02:13 PM JST - 30th October

hey - you can do the CRIME here in japan because the TIME is almost always suspended for these corporte/political/police/bureacrats, etc. it is horrible that these people are not given adaquate punishment. just do the bow.
Betting at 03:31 PM JST - 30th October

I think Japan is just simply not prepared for it. Before the war I think it would be fair to say that Japan was hardly a democracy with all the things that democracy supposedly entails. After the war there was a major effort to rebuild Japan as an economic power. The Japanese constitution was forced on it by the Occupation forces.

After that it seems that the attempts to build a legal system that would be developed alongside with industry and social changes in Japan have been lacking (e.g. look at how court cases like minatobyo, itai itai, hibakusha have been allowed to linger (even something comparatively small in comparison like the students -vs- NOVA)).

Any attempts by authorities to make changes have been half-hearted to say the least, as they are very often influenced by lobby groups who are out to protect their own interests(e.g. bureacrats).

I honestly think that the lack of development in a well-meaning legal system to cope with modern times has allowed people (food and environmental scandals) like this to flourish.
gogogo at 05:00 PM JST - 30th October

Because in Japan you can just saw you're sorry and continue, there is no punishment in Japan for business', just bow say sorry and do something else illegal until you are discovered.
gogogo at 05:04 PM JST - 30th October

*say

JT needs a 5 min edit function
Kimigano2 at 04:36 AM JST - 31st October

Food scandals have been surfacing for many years. Why?

1 - The government doesn't care.

2 - The government doesn't care.

3 - The government doesn't care.

And that's why.

PS - China is dangerous!!!!
30061015 at 05:42 AM JST - 31st October

You can put any fried mystery meat in a combini bento ( east meats west ) with assorted "oishii so" chunklets of dubious content and origin and the huddled harried masses will masticate on demand. What's really in it? Who cares as long as the trains run on time. The only safe way to eat is to grow it and know it, kill it and grill it. Anything beyond that is simply food for thought.
taikan at 07:30 AM JST - 31st October

There are a number of factors. These include more inspection and better methods of detection that result in the discovery of instances of contamination that previously would not have been discovered in the absence of a large outbreak of illness caused by the contamination. An increase in the frequency of contamination, caused in significant part by intense competition in China that drives down profit margins and thus increases the benefits of adulterating food or avoiding processing steps that would rinse off pesticides and other chemicals, is another factor.

Stiffer penalties is one way to deal with it. Another way is for consumers to insist on knowing where food comes from and what's in it. Also, more inspection and testing. And, of course, publicity that enables consumers to know what companies are producing, importing and/or selling contaminated food.
kavikahi at 01:24 PM JST - 31st October

Difficult to surface after being poisoned.

A very old criminal practice, rounding them up and serving gyoza won't get rid of the problem either. Severe financial penalties, complete media exposure, etc.
freakashow at 10:22 PM JST - 31st October

I agree with taikan. It seems that the number of inspections and far better technology has contributed to higher detection rates in tainted foods. Which brings up another question: How safe is safe?
Taka313 at 12:17 AM JST - 1st November

There are many common sense solutions as to what CAN be done but the crux of the problem is what WILL be done, which is nothing. The companies will continue to cut corners, putting profits ahead of safety because the know they can get away with it with enough political donations. The politicians don't do anything because they know that no matter how much they line their pockets, the people will still keep them in office. Nothing will happen until people shelve the "shoganai" mentality and actually take an interest in their country. Unfortunately, as Kimigano pointed out, it's easier to point out someone else's flaws than it is to address your own.

Taka