An affiliate of major marine product company Maruha Corp. mixed materials that were past their expiration dates into its tuna products and shipped them to stores and distributors between October and March, it has been learned.
Hokushu Shokuhin Co. in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, began voluntarily recalling 8.1 tons of the product from mid-June.
There have been no reports of health problems, according to the company, even though the prepared foods have been on the market for almost half a year.
The Sendai factory bought the frozen Thai tuna at a low price and continued using it between July and September 2006, even though the 18-month shelf life had ended.
Factory officials conducted their own bacteria tests and tasted the fish before it was used, sources said.
The factory manager at the time told officials conducting an in-house investigation that the Thai tuna was used as a cost-cutting measure.
Seven products, all intended for commercial use, are being recalled, including minced tuna. The products are mostly used for sushi or rice bowls. The total amount being recalled is enough to make 200,000 sushi rolls.
According to Hokushu Shokuhin, lightly roasted frozen tuna that has exceeded its best-before date, about 18 months, was used in products at its factory in Sendai, accounting for 2.3 tons, or about one-third of all the factory’s production.
The expiration date for lightly roasted frozen tuna was between July and September last year, but the company listed the expiration date for all seven products containing the lightly roasted frozen tuna as between September this year and January next year, and shipped them.
The problem was discovered by an internal investigation of Hokushu Shokuhin. Because the price of tuna had been rising, the then Sendai factory chief bought lightly-roasted frozen tuna that was set to expire soon. The chief said he thought the products would be safe for about 2 years because it was frozen, sources said.