In recent years,
Food safety in Japan is gradually coming to an end.
On July 29, Japanese media reported that the well-known old eel store "Japan Bridge Eel Iseada" caused a serious collective food poisoning incident!
So far, 161 people have suffered from diarrhea and vomiting due to eating the eel from the store, and one of them a woman in her 90s has unfortunately passed away.
The incident took place between 24 and 25 July.
July 24 coincides with Japan's "Earth Ugly Day", also known as the Eel Festival. On this day, Japan people are used to eating eel to replenish their strength and fight the heat.
Most of the victims of collective food poisoning were customers who purchased "Japan Bridge Eel Iseseta" eel bento and kabayaki eel from the Keikyu Department Store underground mall in Yokohama!
Afterwards, "Japan Bridge Eel Iseta" said that from July 24 to 25, they sold a total of 1,761 eel bento boxes and kabayaki eel.
On July 29, the Yokohama City Government announced the results of a preliminary investigation: the collective food poisoning was caused by Staphylococcus aureus!
Staphylococcus aureus, which is commonly found in the skin and nasal passages of humans, as well as in various places of life, does not usually cause illness in healthy people.
However, in warm environments, Staphylococcus aureus can multiply rapidly, producing toxins that can cause food poisoning.
This toxin, even if it is heat-treated, cannot be completely destroyed.
The best way to avoid food contamination by Staphylococcus aureus is to wear gloves when handling food and strictly follow food safety standards.
In this incident, it has been made clear that some staff did not wear gloves when making eel bento, which seriously violated food safety regulations!
On the afternoon of July 29, Keikyu Department Store and "Japan Bridge Eel Iseada" urgently held a press conference, and staged a scene of high-level row stations bowing and apologizing.
At the press conference, the senior management of Keikyu Department Store expressed deep apologies for the occurrence of the incident and promised to fully cooperate with the investigation of relevant departments to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
At present, the store of "Japan Bridge Eel Iseta" in the underground shopping mall of Keikyu Department Store and its restaurant on the 10th floor have also been ordered to completely close.
Keikyu Department Store also appeals to customers who have purchased related products during this time period not to eat them again!
More than 100 people reported to have symptoms of food poisoning, ranging in age from 10 to 90. Most patients have mild symptoms, and some require hospitalization.
As for the woman in her 90s who died, the Yokohama City Government said that it was not yet possible to confirm that the cause of her death was causally related to the eel...
In recent years, there have been frequent incidents of mass food poisoning in Japan.
For example, last year, a time-honored bento shop in Aomori Prefecture caused large-scale food poisoning across the country!
At that time, more than 521 people suffered from food poisoning symptoms of varying degrees after eating Yoshidaya's bento box.
The incident spread to 29 prefectures and was one of the worst mass food poisoning outbreaks in Japan in half a century.
During the investigation, the staff of the public health center found two bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, in the rice of the bento box involved.
This Bacillus cereus, which belongs to the facultative anaerobic bacteria, is often found in soil and food. Some strains can cause food poisoning, and some strains are beneficial to other animals.
After the incident, the president of "Yoshidaya" apologized bitterly. He also said that he was really sorry that this kind of thing happened because of his arrogance and negligence as a manager.
Also last year, a popular waterfront restaurant in Ishikawa Prefecture, "Daiwaterfall Running Water Somen Noodles", also had a large-scale food poisoning!
Between 11 and 12 August 2023, a mass food poisoning outbreak occurred at the restaurant, resulting in as many as 93 people suffering from symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever and abdominal pain, and even hospitalization.
Patients range in age from 1 to 70 years. In addition to the 93 people mentioned above, 500 people have consulted the local health center. Among them, many are also tourists from other places.
After an on-site investigation at the local health center, a large amount of Campylobacter was detected in the spring water used for the restaurant's somen noodles.
Campylobacter is one of the four global causes of diarrhoeal diseases, especially young children, the elderly and people with poor immunity.
This species is widespread in most warm-blooded animals, such as poultry, cattle, pigs, sheep, etc., as well as in various wild animals, and in their feces.
Hey, the former "security myth" has been defeated again and again. In the past, when it came to Japan food, most people would give it a thumbs up.
Now...
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