Meat in Japan food poisoning case not trimmed before being served
The operator of a "yakiniku" barbecue restaurant chain involved in a spate of food poisoning deaths believed it did not need to trim raw beef before serving it, contrary to common practice, due to information contained in an e-mail from its supplier, its executive said, reports the Mainichi Daily News.
Police in Japan are investigating the string of food poisoning cases, including the deaths of four people who are at Food Forus Co.'s Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu outlets. The May 2009 e-mail from the Tokyo-based supplier Yamatoya Shoten led Foods Forus to believe the raw meat it received had already been trimmed, the official, who asked not to be named, told Kyodo News. The supplier has told authorities that the meat was not provided to be consumed raw.