Farm ministry to stop selling tainted rice as preventive step

TOKYO, Sept. 16 Kyodo - Farm minister Seiichi Ota said Tuesday that the ministry decided to stop selling contaminated imported rice in Japan in the wake of the unfolding revelation that such rice had been broadly distributed in the Japanese market.

At a press conference, Ota said the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries will instead send tainted rice back to the exporting countries or
incinerate it if hazardous materials are detected during quarantine.
''It's vital to get rid of any chance of tainted rice being distributed in
Japan, so consumers will not have to feel anxiety,'' Ota said.
He said the ministry will take the action on not just rice imported under the
so-called ''minimum access'' World Trade Organization deal but also government
rice stockpile.
The ministry's decision came after Osaka-based rice miller Mikasa Foods was
found to have diverted to edible-use rice that is designated for inedible
purposes -- such as in making glue or other industrial products -- due to
fungal contamination or pesticide residue.
According to the ministry's announcement Tuesday, Mikasa Foods had distributed
such rice to a total of about 380 firms for edible purposes, compared with the
previously announced 85 firms.
The 380 firms include five restaurant and catering companies and are in 24
prefectures nationwide, the ministry added.
The ministry also said its survey has found out that, among the 1,408 tons of
tainted non-edible rice Mikasa Foods has purchased from the government since
2003, the company has sold 622 tons, or 44 percent, as edible rice and most of
them has been consumed already.
''The farm ministry has long overlooked the irregularities and as a result
sparked unrest about food safety among consumers,'' Ota said. ''We keenly feel
responsibility.''
''The ministry as a whole needs to think more seriously about consumers and
hold a strong determination to protect food safety,'' he said. ''We will review
the entire operations and make all-out efforts to improve what needs to be
improved.''
The ministry also said a company in Niigata Prefecture has been found to have
diverted tainted rice for edible use, bringing the total number of firms that
engaged in the inappropriate practice to four, including Mikasa Foods. The
Niigata company on Tuesday admitted to the allegation and apologized.
In the meantime, police in Osaka, Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures have decided
to launch a joint investigation into the illegal sales by Mikasa Foods as early
as Wednesday and to search the company's head office and other locations on a
charge of breaching the unfair competition prevention law as early as later
this week, according to investigative sources.
Mikasa Foods had already been found to have sold the contaminated rice to such
companies as alcoholic beverage makers, food ingredient wholesalers and makers
of Japanese sweets.
The police thus plan to charge the company with food sanitation law violations
as well, the sources said.
Amid growing public concerns, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda also ordered
ministers concerned Tuesday to work to disclose all information concerning the
tainted rice to the public. He also decided that Seiko Noda, state minister in
charge of consumer affairs, will take charge of information gathering and
investigation in relation to the issue.
Among other preventive measures, Ota said the farm ministry plans to introduce
a traceability system to track down the production location of questionable
rice as well as to require the labeling of production origin.
The ministry disclosed the names of the companies that bought the rice from
Mikasa Foods.
==Kyodo