Rat Found in Miso Soup at Sukiya in Tottori, Company Issues Apology

Tottori, Mar 24 (News On Japan) - Beef bowl chain Sukiya has issued an apology on its official website after a rat was found in a bowl of miso soup served at one of its restaurants in Tottori Prefecture in January.

According to Sukiya, the incident occurred at its Tottori Minami-Kissakata location, where a customer reported the presence of a foreign object in their miso soup. Upon inspection by staff, a rat was discovered in the bowl.

The company stated that no other customers were served miso soup suspected of similar contamination at the store.

An internal investigation concluded that the rat likely entered the soup during ingredient preparation, and that staff failed to visually inspect the product before serving it.

Following the incident, the restaurant was temporarily closed and underwent sanitation checks and structural inspections, including assessments of cracks and gaps in the building. Employees also received additional hygiene training. After clearance from the local health authority, the store resumed operations.

Sukiya has since instructed all locations nationwide to rigorously conduct visual checks of food prior to serving.

In response to the incident, the company pledged to carry out quarterly inspections for structural damage and to implement stronger pest control measures. "We will strengthen our management system across all stores to ensure such incidents do not happen again," Sukiya stated in its apology.

Source: TBS

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