Japanese Chain Halts Rice Ball Sales Over Fake Expiration Dates

TOKYO — A Japanese convenience shop concatenation has pulled its handmade atom balls, besides known arsenic onigiri, from shelves aft labor were caught faking expiration dates.

Ministop, which has much than 1,800 stores crossed Japan, said it was conducting an “emergency investigation” astatine each of its stores aft discovering that unit astatine immoderate locations had incorrectly branded nan expiration dates for nan atom balls, which are prepared in-store.

Production of handmade atom balls and bento boxes has been suspended since Aug. 9, nan institution said successful a connection Monday.

It said it had truthful acold confirmed that unit astatine 23 locations nationwide had engaged successful “sales methods that deviated from our merchandise manufacturing regulation.”

Products that should person been promptly branded pinch expiration dates aft being prepared successful shop kitchens “were near without immoderate labels for a magnitude of clip successful bid to widen nan expiration period,” it said, while products already connected show “were relabeled pinch expiration dates.”

Ministop said it had reported nan 23 stores to nan wellness section and that it would “continue to behaviour inspections, analyse nan causes of these incidents and make each effort to forestall a recurrence.”

No customers person reported immoderate related wellness issues, nan institution said.

“We sincerely apologize for nan important inconvenience caused to our customers,” it said.

Onigiri, a staple of Japanese nutrient culture, is typically stuffed pinch grilled salmon, beef aliases pickled plum and wrapped successful crispy seaweed. It is simply a celebrated point successful Japan, wherever convenience stores specified arsenic Ministop, known arsenic konbini, are a lifeline for customers seeking caller to-go meals.

Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo, and Chelsea Chan reported from Hong Kong.