Rat remains found in packages of Japanese bread, prompting recall of 100,000 loaves

More than 100,000 packs of sliced ​​bread have been recalled in Japan after parts of the body of a black rat were discovered in two of them, the manufacturer said on Wednesday.

Food recalls are rare in Japan, a country with famously high sanitation standards, and Pasco Shikishima Corporation said it is investigating how rodent remains crept into its products.

The company said it was not aware until now of anyone becoming ill after eating the processed white “chojuku” bread, long a staple of Japanese breakfast tables.

About 104,000 packs of bread have been recalled in mainland Japan, from Tokyo to the northern region of Aomori.

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According to Japanese media reports, at least two people who bought the bread in Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, complained to the company about finding a rodent in the bread.

“We would like to deeply apologize for causing any problems for our customers and clients,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Pasco confirmed that parts of a black rat had contaminated the two packages.

They were produced by the bread maker at a factory in Tokyo, whose assembly line has been suspended pending the investigation, Pasco said.

“We will strengthen our quality management system to ensure there is no recurrence,” it added.

The company, based in the city of Nagoya, central Japan, also makes sandwiches, bagels and muffins.

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Cleanliness and hygiene are taken seriously in Japan, but food poisonings and recalls occasionally make headlines.

Last year, supermarket chain 7-Eleven apologized and announced a recall after a cockroach was found in a rice ball.

Earlier this month, a thousand children became ill from milk and two people became ill after eating steak in a restaurant.

Another recent health scandal in Japan involved drugmaker Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s recall of dietary supplements intended to lower cholesterol.

The company said last month it is investigating five deaths possibly linked to its products containing red yeast rice, or “beni koji.”

Additional reporting by Associated Press