A shipment of frozen shishamo from Viet Nam has been found to contain rat poison and feces, according to Japanese officials.
The products were made by Vietnamese seafood processor Rich Beauty Food Co. and imported through an agent by Imura Industry Co. in Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, prefectural and health ministry officials said.
The tainted products have been distributed to at least 12 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, including Tokyo, Aichi, Kyoto and Osaka, Yamaguchi prefectural officials said, warning that the number could rise further, reports TheJapanNews.
Local health officials ordered Imura to stop selling the products, while the company is recalling products already sold. There have been no reports of health problems, the authorities said.
Imura officials said the fish was packed in bags within cardboard boxes.
The company confirmed there was contamination on July 15, the same day two retailers discovered the rat poison and feces. But the problem was not reported to local authorities until Tuesday. Such problems “must be reported immediately,” a health ministry official said.
The Imura officials said the company took the two boxes of contaminated fish to Viet Nam on Saturday and submitted them to local investigative authorities.
The rat poison in question contains a substance that prevents blood from clotting.
