The Chinese firm that made the dumplings that are at the center
of the Japan food poisoning case will seek compensation if proven
innocent, its managing director said on Friday.
Di Menglu of the Hebei-based Tianyang Food Plant, said: "We are
also a victim of this incident.
"If it is shown we are innocent, we will speak to the
authorities about compensation."
Di said production at the plant had been halted since media
reports claimed 10 people in Japan had fallen ill on Jan 30 after
eating frozen Tianyang dumplings.
"We have suffered huge financial losses," Di said without
disclosing exact figures.
"More than 800 workers have been temporarily laid-off and they
are eagerly awaiting production to resume."
The poisoning incident has become an emotive issue in Japan.
However, while traces of pesticide were found in the vomit of the
10 victims and packages of the dumplings they had eaten, none were
found in other packs from the same batches.
The Japanese government reported last week that 578 schools and
kindergartens in Japan had used products from Tianyang without any
health concerns being reported.
"We are considering this as an isolated case, not a food safety
problem," Wei Chuanzhong, deputy director of the General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine,
said on Wednesday.
Investigations by Japanese police have also indicated the
poisoning is likely to have been an act of sabotage, Wei said.
(China Daily February 16, 2008)
