Nara eel shop falsely displays Chinese products as domestic products - approximately 160,000 sold

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

奈良のうなぎ店 中国産を国産と偽って表示 約16万個販売

2022年1月31日 19時49分

奈良県大和高田市に本店があるうなぎ店が、中国産のうなぎを国産と偽って販売していたことがわかり、近畿農政局は31日、表示の是正などを求める指示を出しました。

指示を受けたのは、大和高田市に本店があるうなぎ店の「うな源」です。

近畿農政局によりますと、おととし4月から11月にかけて奈良や大阪の店舗、それに通信販売で中国産のうなぎを使用した弁当やかば焼きなどの商品を国産と偽って表示し、合わせておよそ16万個を販売したということです。

近畿農政局は、食品に関する表示偽装などの情報を集めている「食品表示110番」に情報が寄せられたことから調査を進めていました。

「うな源」は、農政局に対し「中国産は国産より安いうえ、大きくやわらかいので購入したが、店のイメージを守りたいので国産と偽って販売した」などと話しているということです。

近畿農政局は31日に「うな源」に対し、食品表示法に基づき表示の是正や原因の究明、さらに今後のチェック体制の強化などを求める指示を出しました。

「うな源」出店 近鉄百貨店は“返金対応”

「うな源」は、近鉄百貨店のあべのハルカス近鉄本店と奈良店、橿原店にテナントを出店しています。

近鉄百貨店によりますと、産地が偽装された疑いがあるうなぎが販売されていた期間は、おととし4月から11月にかけての8か月間で、ネット販売を含めて、この期間に売られたうなぎは6万8000尾余りにのぼるということです。

「うな源」からは産地証明書の提出を受けていましたが、中国産のうなぎが国産と偽って記載されていたということです。

近鉄百貨店は代金の返金を求める購入客に対して、レシートやネットショッピングの記録などで確認したうえで返金するとしています。

Translation

It was discovered that an eel store, which had its head office in Yamatotakada City, Nara Prefecture, was selling Chinese eels as if they were domestically produced, and on the 31st, the Kinki Regional Agricultural Administration Bureau issued an instruction requesting correction of the display.

The instruction was given to "Unagen", an eel store whose main store is in Yamatotakada City.

According to the Kinki Regional Agricultural Administration Bureau, from April to November in the year before last, products such as bento boxes and kabayaki made using ells from China were displayed as domestic products at stores in Nara and Osaka, and a total of about 160,000 pieces had been sold by mail ordering.

The Kinki Regional Agricultural Administration Bureau proceeded with the investigation because information was sent to "Food Labeling 110", which collected information related to food such as false labeling.

"Unagen" told the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Administration that "Chinese products were cheaper than domestic products and were large and soft, so they bought them; but as they wanted to preserve the image of the store, they pretended to sell them as domestic products."

On the 31st, the Kinki Regional Agricultural Administration Bureau issued an instruction to "Unagen" requesting the correction of the labeling, investigation of the cause, and strengthening of its checking system in the future based on the Food Labeling Law.

"Unagen" branch store at Kintetsu Department Store would be "refundable".

"Unagen" had open stores at the Kintetsu Department Store’s Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store and Nara Store, and also at the Kashihara Store.

According to the Kintetsu Department Store, eels suspected of disguising the production area were sold for eight months from April to November in the year before last, and during this period, including online sales, over 68,000 eels were sold.

While certificate of origin had been received from "Unagi", but the Chinese eels were falsely described as domestic ones.

Kintetsu Department Store would refund the purchaser who might ask for a refund after checking the receipts and online shopping records.

              So, Kinki Regional Agricultural Administration Bureau has done its job in finding out the disguising of production area for products from China and has issued an instruction requesting correction of the display.