Where's the Beef?

[Captain Japan]

Meat Hope President Minoru Tanaka
Ground meat mixed with pork, chicken sold as ground beef

Frozen croquettes made from ''ground beef'' supplied by Meat Hope Co., a meat-processing company based in Hokkaido, were found to have been mixed with pork and chicken. Some of the ''beef croquettes'' (as labeled in the photo) were found to contain only pork, according to DNA tests conducted by frozen food maker Katokichi Co. and the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union. Police searched the premises of Meat Hope on June 24 on suspicion of violating the unfair competition prevention law.

There's not much to this story but that picture of the shacho was too good to pass up.

[GomiGirl]

This has been all over the news.. the press conferences with the shacho were lots of fun.

[IkemenTommy]

Ahhhh.. get ready for another endless "gomennasais" and "oh, we were not aware that any of this was happening" cover-ups.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Shit like this really pisses me off because I know a guy who can die if he eats chicken.

[Charles]

I thought it was common knowledge that Japanese ground beef had lots of pork added. It appears this vendor just didn't know how much was too much.

[IkemenTommy]

I thought it was common knowledge that Japanese ground beef had lots of pork added. It appears this vendor just didn't know how much was too much.

Worse.. try horse meat. I shit you not. The next time, check out those little sausage bits at conbini that you would almost feed to your dog. I refuse to eat that crap even if there is a huge famine.

[Oradea]

Shit like this really pisses me off because I know a guy who can die if he eats chicken.

Thats a fair point. Its one thing to pull the wool over the consumers eyes for an extra buck, but there are sometimes extreme situations like SJ`s friend there....

[Midwinter]

Someone really needs to get their shit together, find a good lawyer, and claim they're Jewish. You'd be rolling in the cash in no time flat!

[American Oyaji]

Someone really needs to get their shit together, find a good lawyer, and claim they're Jewish. You'd be rolling in the cash in no time flat!

Umm. What does being Jewish have to do with this?

[IkemenTommy]

Umm. What does being Jewish have to do with this?

Probably something about being Kosher and that they can't eat certain types of meat...

[TennoChinko]

Not that the mainstream press would ever publish it, but given the meat processing trade is supposed to be dominated by them, is the Meat Hope President, Minoru Tanaka, a burakumin?

[halfnip]

Yeah, the press conferences were pretty funny when his son was blasting him by saying, "Uhh...Dad, don't you think it's time that you tell the truth?". What a messed up situation...

Although it is disgusting and I can see a whole bunch of lawsuits coming, if you really couldn't eat pork or whatever, would you even think about eating a "beef" croquette? Jewish, Muslim or not, if it ain't a straight up potato croquette, you'd have been better off staying away from it! Apparently these things are pretty popular and we've all probably ate one of these somewhere along the line. It's just sickening to think about it.....

[Captain Japan]

Police consider charges over 'pure beef' scam
Asahi

SAPPORO--The scandal over Meat Hope's bogus "100-percent beef" products deepened Sunday when Hokkaido police started a criminal investigation that could lead to fraud charges against the companies involved.

In a separate development, tests commissioned by The Asahi Shimbun revealed that the supposedly pure beef products contained not only pork, but chicken as well.

Investigators searched the head offices of Meat Hope Co., in Tomakomai, and Hokkaido Katokichi Co., in Akabira, for evidence of anti-competitive behavior, sources said.

They said police suspected the companies of engaging in systematic fraud and would closely examine evidence with a view to filing charges that could carry heavier penalties.

The companies have already admitted falsely labeling their products. Meat Hope President Minoru Tanaka has acknowledged the practice started seven or eight years ago....more...

I wonder if this story will fit the typical scandal formula with other companies being exposed for the same practice. I'll give it three days.

[MrUltimateGaijin]

Umm. What does being Jewish have to do with this?

are u a bit simple?

[TennoChinko]

Yeah, the press conferences were pretty funny when his son was blasting him by saying, "Uhh...Dad, don't you think it's time that you tell the truth?". What a messed up situation...

Although it is disgusting and I can see a whole bunch of lawsuits coming, if you really couldn't eat pork or whatever, would you even think about eating a "beef" croquette? Jewish, Muslim or not, if it ain't a straight up potato croquette, you'd have been better off staying away from it! Apparently these things are pretty popular and we've all probably ate one of these somewhere along the line. It's just sickening to think about it.....

The cynic in me says the whole 'son criticizing his father' scene was staged for the benefit of the press and general public. If the company manages to survive (doubtful at this stage), the father would likely step down and his son would take over. Their hope would be that the new president would be recalled in good light. Lame lame lame - and fools no one.

[james]

are u a bit simple?

not sure why, but this made me snort. anyway, on the subject of meat and religion, i thought i'd add this gem, just in case there is anyone alive who hasn't heard it yet..

A Priest and a Rabbi were sitting next to each other on an airplane. After a while, the Priest turned to the Rabbi and asked, "Is it still a requirement of your faith that you not eat pork?"

The Rabbi responded, "Yes, that is still one of our beliefs."

The Priest then asked, "Have you ever eaten pork?"

To which the Rabbi replied, "Yes, on one occasion I did succumb to temptation and tasted a ham sandwich."

The Priest nodded in understanding and went on with his reading.

A while later, the Rabbi spoke up and asked the priest, "Father, is it still a requirement of your church that you remain celibate?"

The Priest replied, "Yes, that is still very much a part of our faith"

The Rabbi then asked him, "Father, have you ever fallen to the temptations of the flesh?

The Priest replied, "Yes, Rabbi, on one occasion I was weak and broke with my faith."

The Rabbi nodded understandingly and remained silent, thinking, for about five minutes.

Finally, the Rabbi said, "Beats a ham sandwich, doesn't it?"

[American Oyaji]

Probably something about being Kosher and that they can't eat certain types of meat...

Huh. I was thinking he was saying something else.

[IkemenTommy]

Huh. I was thinking he was saying something else.

Mind to elaborate?

[American Oyaji]

Mind to elaborate?

I thought he was trying to make a slam on Jews. i.e. Jewish lawyers.

Wasn't firing on all cylinders when I read it initially.

[Captain Japan]

Meat Hope collected insurance from meat mislabeling, former execs say
Asahi

TOMAKOMAI, Hokkaido--Meat Hope Co. repeatedly misused liability insurance to cover damages stemming from recalls of meat products it had knowingly mislabeled, sources said.

"To keep the lie from surfacing, the company quickly moved to recall the products as soon as a complaint was lodged," a former Meat Hope executive said. "It was a swindle that misused insurance for corporate clients."

In one case, Meat Hope intentionally labeled ground lamb and other products as beef and shipped it to a food company for its frozen beef curry, according to several former executives of Meat Hope.

But consumers lodged complaints with the food company, saying the meat gave off an odd smell.

According to documents obtained by The Asahi Shimbun, the food company in 1997 recalled about 7,000 kilograms of its products that contained Meat Hope meat.

The company then demanded Meat Hope pay 5.42 million yen ($43,745) in compensation for damages stemming from the recall as well as trouble-shooting fees.

Meat Hope told an insurance company that its employees made mistakes during the manufacturing process.

The insurer agreed to pay 3.2 million yen to Meat Hope, which was used to cover compensation payments to the food company....more...

[Greji]

I thought he was trying to make a slam on Jews. i.e. Jewish lawyers.

Wasn't firing on all cylinders when I read it initially.

Obviously!! If it's entitled lawyer, it should be slammed. Jewish or Gentile. Standard rules apply!

[IkemenTommy]

I thought he was trying to make a slam on Jews. i.e. Jewish lawyers.

Wasn't firing on all cylinders when I read it initially.

If he was trying to go on that route, my big-nosed Jew part of me was going to kick his little ass.

[Captain Japan]

[Captain Japan]

'Firm added bread rolls to ground beef to bulk it up'
Gomiuri

Meat Hope Co. allegedly mixed bread with ground beef to increase the volume, it was learned Monday.

In addition to the company's practice of mixing beef with other types of meat in products labeled as ground beef, the new allegation suggests materials other than meat may have been mixed in Meat Hope products.

A former employee of Meat Hope told The Yomiuri Shimbun of witnessing the use of bread as a bulking agent five or six years ago.

The former employee saw bread rolls being fed into a meat-grounding machine in a factory. "It was probably to increase the amount of ground meat. Workers called bread rolls 'manju' [Japanese buns]," the former employee said.

The practice was nearly discovered when a client company complained that the meat was too sticky, and that a crust had formed on it, the former employee said. The stickiness apparently was due to the bread absorbing moisture from the meat.

The former employee also said the company bought a massive amount of imported duck meat when its price dropped in 2004 due to an avian flu epidemic. The duck meat was used in products falsely labeled as ground beef and others.

[Midwinter]

If he was trying to go on that route, my big-nosed Jew part of me was going to kick his little ass.

Whoa, I've got nothing against Jewish people. Just saying if you wanted some easy money, you could probably initiate a successful law suit based on a "I'm Jewish and can't eat pork" arguement. Throw in some mental anguish, guilt-ridden restless nights, and an angry Rabbi, and you might be looking at a tidy sum.

Seriously, these bastards deserve everything they get. The whole scandal is making me sick.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Whoa, I've got nothing against Jewish people. Just saying if you wanted some easy money, you could probably initiate a successful law suit based on a "I'm Jewish and can't eat pork" arguement. Throw in some mental anguish, guilt-ridden restless nights, and an angry Rabbi, and you might be looking at a tidy sum.

Seriously, these bastards deserve everything they get. The whole scandal is making me sick.

I doubt that law suit would carry much weight in Japan.

Maybe someone could sue for getting gout attacks from unknowingly eating beef hearts.

[Ke11iente]

They're called "Meat Hope" products because you hope what you're actually getting is meat.

Wow. These guys are so sleazy that I've gone from feeling apathetically indifferent to slightly schadenfreudeningly amused. If you're gonna be shady, be shady allll the way.

They were grinding up ducks during an avian flu epidemic to pass off as beef-- meanwhile, no one wants to eat American beef because it's unsafe?

[IkemenTommy]

Seriously, these bastards deserve everything they get. The whole scandal is making me sick.

Werd

[Captain Japan]

EDITORIAL: Scandal over ground beef
Asahi

Can we really trust the quality of food sold in shops? Yet again, an incident makes us question the food we buy. Meat Hope Co., a meat-processing firm in Hokkaido, had been adding cheap pork into its ground beef products. This fake ground beef had been used to make frozen croquettes and other daily foodstuffs, which were then shipped throughout the country.

Consumers have been duped about the kind of meat they were eating, as well as being made to pay a higher price for the cheap meat.

"We thought if we mix the meat, no one would be able to tell the difference," the president of the company said.

His words show that he has no sense of awareness or responsibility in dealing with food products.

Using pork and calling it beef was apparently not the company's only wrongdoing.

In addition, Meat Hope is suspected of disguising Brazilian chicken meat as domestic meat and shipping it to elementary and junior high schools for school meals...more...

[Greji]

EDITORIAL: Scandal over ground beef
Asahi "....In addition, Meat Hope is suspected of disguising Brazilian chicken meat as domestic meat and shipping it to elementary and junior high schools for school meals...."

This may turn out to be legal. Japan's Ag Ministry has some very weird rules concerning domestic and imported food stuffs. Although new laws have been changing this somewhat, many items of food stuff imported live, i.e. eels, prawns, and I suppose, chicks, can be imported and sent to holding areas where they are fed and "raised", fattened for market if you will. Once a certain time has transpired in a number of days or weeks, they can be sold as domestic products from that local prefectural area. This has been especially true for prawns and eels and I wouldn't be surprised if there are a lot more on that list.