THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
2009/6/12
The president of a Nagoya-based glue manufacturer was arrested
Friday on suspicion of selling rice tainted with illegal levels of
pesticide for use in food products, police said.
A joint investigative team formed by Aichi and Mie prefectural
police arrested Toshinori Asai, 57, president of Asai, over
allegations he violated the Food Sanitation Law.
Investigators also searched the offices of Nonogaki Kokuhan, a
rice dealer based in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, and four other
businesses. Police said they are questioning officials of the
companies to clarify who was involved during the multiple-layer
stages of illegal distribution of the rice.
The rice was found to contain traces of pesticide methamidophos
that exceeded the permissible level of 0.01 parts per million for
residue pesticides.
The grain is believed to have reached 22 companies in 10
prefectures, although no illnesses were reported from the tainted
rice.
Asai acknowledged to police that he sold the rice to Nonogaki,
but he denied any wrongdoing, saying he did not think the grain
would be used for human consumption, police said.
He said he sold the rice in a desperate attempt to obtain
operating funds, police said.
The president of Nonogaki Kokuhan, which resold the rice to
other companies, told police he was not aware the rice was
tainted.
According to police, Asai is suspected of selling about 270
kilograms of Chinese glutinous rice, deemed unfit for human
consumption, for 50 yen a kilogram to Nonogaki between May and
August 2007.
The rice in question was part of the 570 tons of rice the
company sold to Nonogaki. Asai's company had bought the rice in
five installments between December 2006 and May 2007 from the
government for 5 to 6 yen a kilogram.
The glue maker made a profit of about 18.6 million yen through
the sale.
After Nonogaki resold the tainted glutinous rice, most of the
grain ended up being used in rice cracker production or school
lunches.
Investigators also inspected 16 tons of rice left unused in a
warehouse of a Shizuoka-based rice dealer and confirmed
methamidophos levels of 0.02 to 0.03 ppm, two to three times above
the permissible level.
Asai's arrest is part of a larger scandal in which businesses
bought tainted or moldy imported rice from the agriculture ministry
and resold the grain for use in food products.
The scandal surfaced in September last year. At least four
companies, including Asai and Osaka-based rice dealer Mikasa Foods
Co., have been accused of involvement in illegally diverting the
rice.
Mikasa Foods is accused of allowing 1,407.5 tons of tainted rice
to enter the market from 2004. The rice was distributed to 530
locations. It was used in sake production at major breweries and
also served in lunches at schools and hospitals.
The scandal led to the resignations of then farm minister
Seiichi Ota and vice agriculture minister Toshiro Shirasu, who took
responsibility for the ministry's lack of oversight and failed
inspections of the rice.(IHT/Asahi: June 12,2009)