2.7mn packages of meat, pizza pulled backTOKYO: A Japanese meat processor said on Sunday it was recalling millions of packages of sausages and pizzas after finding cyanide in water at one of its plants.
Itoham Foods said in a notice published in newspapers that tests have found up to 3 times the government limit of cyanide in the well water normally used in the products.
The latest recall covers nearly 2.7mn packages of sausages and pizza sold in Japan.
Itoham said it had detected large amounts of cyanide in the water at 2 of the 3 wells at its factory in Chiba, near Tokyo.
Spokesman Yoshiro Matsuzaki said this was the first time in its 40 years of operation that the company had found unhealthy levels of cyanide in its wells. The company said it has not received any reports of health problems and the recalls are voluntary.
Japan has been hit by several high-profile food scandals involving contamination and mislabelling, and the govt is considering creating a specialised agency to monitor food and product safety.
