Pasco: Rat remains found in Japanese bread triggers recall and refunds

One of Japan’s best-known bread brands is recalling thousands of packages and offering refunds after the remains of a rat were discovered in its products.

About 104,000 packages of sliced ​​white bread made by Pasco Shikishima Corporation have been removed from shelves. Parts of the black rat had been discovered in at least two packages.

Pasco bread is a staple in many Japanese households and is ubiquitous in supermarkets and convenience stores across the country.

So far, no cases of illness have been reported, Pasco said in a statement earlier this week.

“We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers, business partners and all parties involved,” it said.

The bread was produced at a factory in Tokyo, whose assembly line was suspended.

Pasco did not say how the rat’s remains ended up in its products, but it pledged to “do everything possible to strengthen our quality controls so that this does not happen again.”

The company has since published a form on its website allowing affected customers to request a refund online.

Its products are also exported to the United States, China, Australia and Singapore, among other countries.

Food recalls are rare in Japan, a country known for its high health standards.

However, there have been several recent health scares related to diet.

Earlier this month, hundreds of students in the northeastern prefecture of Miyagi fell ill after drinking milk supplied to their schools.

Last year, convenience store chain 7-Eleven apologized and announced recalls after a cockroach was found in a rice ball.