TOKYO — A popular brand of sliced white bread is being recalled in Japan after some loaves were found to inadvertently contain rat parts.
Pasco Shikishima Corp., a major food supplier based in Nagoya, said it was recalling 104,000 packs of its Pasco bread from 15 prefectures after part of what appeared to be a small animal was found in a batch of super fermented “chojuku” bread produced at a factory west of Tokyo.
The company said that while the recall of the contaminated products had been completed, as a precaution it was also recalling other items produced on the same line and that the line “will be suspended for the time being to investigate the cause and to strengthen countermeasures.”
A company representative confirmed to NBC News on Thursday that the contamination came from a “small black rat.”
“We deeply apologize for the serious inconvenience and trouble this has caused to our customers, suppliers, and other concerned parties,” the company said in its statement Tuesday, adding that there had been no reports of consumers falling ill.
The recall is the latest in a string of food safety scares in Japan, which is known for its high standards of cleanliness. In March, major drug maker Kobayashi Pharmaceutical was ordered to recall three dietary supplement products containing red yeast rice that have been linked to five deaths and more than 100 hospitalizations.
Last year police made multiple arrests after a wave of pranks dubbed “sushi terrorism,” in which diners at Japan’s iconic conveyor belt restaurants filmed themselves engaging in unhygienic behavior such as licking the rim of a cup before returning it and spraying food with hand sanitizer.
In discussing the rat-part recall, commenters on social media platform X expressed support for the brand but also some hesitation, with one saying they have Pasco products at home “and have been eating them normally.”
“I just hope there are no rats in them,” the commenter said.
Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo, and Jeremy Zhu reported from Hong Kong.