September 30, 2008

 

Japan to resume wheat import tenders in October

  
  

Japan plans to resume import tenders for wheat in October and tenders for rice some time later after they were halted this month in the wake of a scandal involving tainted rice.

 

The Agriculture Ministry said in a statement that tenders for wheat will resume in the second week of October following a change in the rules for the two key grains it imports.

 

The scandal, which forced the then Agriculture Minister to resign, involved rice tainted with pesticide residues and mould meant for industrial use finding its way into meals at hospitals and for the elderly. No health damage has been reported.

 

It was the latest of many food scandals, ranging from sweets to milk products, that has undermined Japanese consumers' trust in the food industry.

 

The new rules mean that rice and wheat which breaches Japan's food safety law must be shipped back to where it came from or be disposed of in Japan.

 

Previously, traders could sell such rice to make glue and sell such lower quality wheat for animal feed.

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