Japan chain stops rice ball sales after staff fake expiry dates

Japan's convenience store chain, Ministop, has temporarily halted the sale of rice balls (onigiri) in its 1,600 outlets across the country after employees were found to be falsifying expiration dates. The company has issued an apology for the "significant inconvenience" caused by this incident. The issue came to light when a customer complained about the quality of a rice ball they had purchased. An investigation revealed that some employees had been deliberately changing the expiry dates on the food items, leading to the sale of potentially spoiled products. Ministop has stated that it is taking immediate action to address the problem, including retraining staff and implementing stricter quality control measures. The company has also pledged to work closely with the relevant authorities to ensure that such incidents do not occur again in the future. The suspension of deli sales is expected to have a significant impact on the company's operations, as rice balls are a popular item among Ministop's customers. However, the priority for the company is to regain the trust of its customers and ensure the safety and quality of its products.