Millions of Frozen Food Packages Recalled in Japan

Just as people in Japan prepare for their year-end celebrations, a major food company has announced a recall of 6.3 million frozen food packages after discovering pesticide in some of its products.

Maruha Nichiro Holdings said it is recalling all 90 products produced at its Aqli Foods Co. plant in Gunma prefecture north of Tokyo, ranging from frozen pizzas to corn cream croquettes. It said 44 of the products were sold at retail outlets while the other 46 were supplied to restaurants. The amount of the recall is roughly equivalent to the plant’s monthly output.

The company said it was first told on Nov. 13 that one of its frozen pizzas smelled of petroleum oil or machine oil, with a total of 20 such calls about products being logged by Sunday.

The company said five out of 12 samples sent back by customers have been found to contain malathion, an insecticide used both in agriculture and residentially.

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Source: WSJ