Rat parts found in sliced white bread in Japan, sparking recall

A major Japanese food supplier has recalled more than 100,000 packs of a popular brand of sliced white bread after rat parts were found inside some loaves.

A major Japanese food supplier has recalled more than 100,000 packs of a popular brand of sliced white bread after rat parts were found inside some loaves. The latest scare adds to a raft of food safety scandals plaguing Asia’s second biggest economy, which has a longstanding reputation for the reliability of its food exports. In a statement on Wednesday, Pasco Shikishima Corporation said it was investigating how parts of “a small animal” found its way into two packets of sliced bread, adding that no one has fallen sick so far after consuming the product. It later confirmed to CNN that the remains belonged to a rat. They were found in a batch of white “chojuku” bread — or super fermented bread, known for its extra chewy texture — manufactured by a factory based in western Tokyo prefecture, according to the company. “We will recall the products below that were produced on the same factory line and halt the line in question in the meantime to determine the cause and implement countermeasures,” it said in the statement, adding that the recall involves some 104,000 packs.