Japan Probes Tainted Dumplings From China

Health Minister Says "Highly Likely" Food Was Deliberately Poisoned, Others Urge Calm

(CBS/AP)  Pesticide-laced Chinese dumplings that sickened at least 10 people in Japan and triggered a nationwide scare were probably poisoned deliberately, Japan's health minister said Tuesday.

The frozen dumplings, produced by China's Tianyang Food Processing Ltd., were contaminated with the pesticide methamidophos and blamed for a string of poisonings in December and January.

Investigators, however, have found traces of the pesticide on the outside of the dumplings, rather than on the filling. The poison was also found in much higher concentrations than would be expected from residue from pesticides sprayed on vegetables.

Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said that pointed to deliberate poisoning, rather than accidental contamination.

"Judging from the circumstantial evidence, we'd have to think that it's highly likely to be a crime," he said. "That means we must let police investigate, and I hope the case would be resolved through our cooperation with China."

As Masuzoe spoke, a Japanese government delegation started an investigation in China, where they were meeting with their counterparts. The group plans to visit the dumpling factory where the food was produced.

About 20 top police investigators from the areas where the poisonings took place gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss the dumpling probe, and police in the two prefectures (states) Chiba and Hyogo - the home of the 10 victims - are now looking into the dumpling contamination as an attempted murder case.

Tsuyoshi Yoneda, head of the Criminal Affairs Bureau at the National Police Agency, said at the meeting that the case is a "serious threat to the food safety in our country."

"We are facing an extremely serious case," he said.

The contamination set off a nationwide scare last week and over the weekend. In addition to the 10 confirmed victims, more than 1,200 people have reported becoming ill after eating Tianyang products, though no link with the pesticide in the additional cases has been proven.

Authorities have ordered the recall of millions of bags of dumplings and other foods made by Tianyang, while many stores and restaurants in Japan have stopped offering Chinese products altogether.

Traces of the insecticide were found in the dumplings, on the packaging and in the vomit of the 10 people who were sickened. Investigators in western Japan also found traces on six bags of the dumplings recalled over the weekend.

Punctures were found in a handful of the bags that were recalled or tied to poisonings.

China's product safety agency conducted tests on the ingredients of Tianyang dumplings from the same batch sent to Japan, but found none of the insecticide cited by Japanese authorities.

Some Japanese officials urged caution against jumping to conclusions about the source of the contamination.

Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said hasty remarks could easily damage fragile bilateral relations with China, which have improved since 2006 after years of tensions.

"We should stay calm at least on the government level in order to pursue our investigation," Komura said.

But, CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen reports the damage was already done on a consumer level, with Japanese shoppers almost unanimously steering clear of anything labeled "made in China".

[b-easy63]

vivaviva80. No surprise. I am aware of food products from China that have lead; these also were labeled "Made in U.S.A.". There has been toothpaste with antifreeze. Seafood full of bacteria and pesticides. The world should consider boycotting all PRC goods until they get their act together.

Posted by LawyerTom1 at 07:03 PM : Feb 05, 2008


supposedly, over 80% of our seafood comes from China now and over 85% of all our fruits and veggies are imported now. So if we don''t get it from China who will supply us? and if you don''t like the subsidized Chinese rate of 300% inflation on the food--do you think we can handle the 3000% that could come due to the devaluation of our dollar?

[b-easy63]

The reason we need to do this is no matter what the Chinese do economically, the U.S. will bounce back and retain out status of economic superpower of the world. china on the other hand might just revert back to a third world country, which they deserve since their economy has been built up by stealing technology and cheating on thier currency peg.
They are the enemy.

Posted by killtheliars at 12:10 PM : Feb 05, 2008


we literally sold our mfg base to China and India. Not just the companies--we shipped them all the data, and technology, all the raw materials and how to mine them , all equipment and parts (in the case of our steel mills) In other words, we know longer have the buildings, workers with know how, recipes, technology or raw materials for textile mills, steel mills, many automotive parts, computer technology etc.

We are consumers now--it would take us a good 40 years to rebuild what NAFTA dismantled. If we stopped trade, we would implode and every other foreign country would be at our door to buy our land and let us work in their new houses, so we could live in our former garages.

[b-easy63]

Given the historic and continual bad blood between China and Japan (due to Japan''s genocide against China in WWII) what in the hell is Japan doing accepting food imports from China anyway? Are they, like AMerica, so corrupted by greed that they truly feel that money solves everything and will absolve them of past crimes?

Contrary to popular American and maybe Japanese opinions, new Burger Kings or cookies or roads do NOT take the place of the people we kill in the countries we invade--here''s a clue--NOTHING cleans up that evil--nothing. That''s why you never engage in Iraq or China death camp moments unless you wanted to be hated until the generation you did it to and the generations that remember all die.

[cantshutup]

it IS possible to avoid buying chinese products...i haven''t bought any groceries or other products since the dog food incidents last year...you just have to learn to read labels carefully and consistantly refuse to purchase imported garbage...we''ve done without a lot of stuff, paid more for healthier products at health food stores...i feel better about my families safety and i have more money in my pocket because i''m purchasing less!!! WE CAN DO IT!!!

[erasmus6]

"...were probably poisoned deliberately..."

I knew they were poisoning our food deliberately!

[lawyertom1]

vivaviva80. No surprise. I am aware of food products from China that have lead; these also were labeled "Made in U.S.A.". There has been toothpaste with antifreeze. Seafood full of bacteria and pesticides. The world should consider boycotting all PRC goods until they get their act together.

[lawyertom1]

Guano from the PRC? Oh, just shocking, and totally expected.

[missingamerica]

"Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said that pointed to deliberate poisoning, rather than accidental contamination."

Bad conclusion to draw just because the pesticide was found on the outside of the dumpling; they''re applying their own society''s rules to another society.

It is entirely possible that the roaches were running amok when a tour by foreigners was scheduled or som such, and the Chinese factory management just hosed the whole factory down without cleaning the production lines afterwards.

And quite possibly sprayed the whole factory down while production was running - poisoning not only the outside of the dumplings, but their own workers, too!

That is why America''s corporate chieftains so love manufacturing in China - they don''t have a lot of silly regulations that inhibit profits.

[bcbbkake]

China is so overpopulated that their rules of only one child per couple (over the past several decades) cannot control the population. The same rule that prompts them to kill female children at birth. This equation has led them to be the only country in the history of the world that can boast a 200,000,000 man standing army, and they have so boasted for over 30 years. They have a purpose, and it is to kill...I give you the Biblical army to the east.

[newsjunky5]

"Chinese government won%u2019t tell the truth even Chinese authority could find the %u201CPesticide-laced Dumplings%u201D in Chinese factory in China. That the way they protect their national interests.
For example, we had Melamine contaminated animal foods scare last year & many cats & dogs died needlessly."

I think we should avoid buying the many Chinese products which have shown to be of bad quality. Having said that, I''d just like to point out that they did get the guy who boosted pet food protein analysis by adding melamine, and sentenced him to death. (At least they said it was the same guy)
So they are doing something, even if it''s too much too late.