Popular Bread Withdrawn From Shelves After Rat Parts Discovered In Packs

• Pasco Shikishima Corporation recalled thousands of packs of sliced Pasco bread after rat parts were discovered
• The company has apologised and initiated refunds for affected customers, with drivers dispatched to collect affected packages
• Being a staple food, some consumers are still wondering if they might have consumed rat parts in the bread unknowingly

Lovers of a popular bread brand in Japan are still divided between regurgitating or forgetting the past and moving on after rat parts were discovered in some bread packaging.

How many loaves has Pasco Shikishima Corporation recalled?

Pasco Shikishima Corporation has been forced to pull about 104,000 packs of sliced Pasco bread from the market following the discovery of rat parts in two packs.

According to BBC, Pasco bread is a staple in many Japanese homes, and the development has left consumers worried about their safety and others concerned whether they might have eaten the parts unknowingly.

The factory has, as a result, shut its production line to investigate the incident. It has, however, clarified that there have not been any reported cases of anyone falling ill from eating the bread.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We are accepting collection requests for eligible products on this page. We apologise for the inconvenience, but please register the necessary information," the company said in a statement.

Refund forms to affected customers

Pasco Shikishima Corporation said it was making refunds to affected customers who were required to fill out a form.

According to the bread maker, a driver would be sent to the residence of affected customers to pick up the packaging with the foreign object.

"Even if the package has been opened, please return the product package (bag) and bread. After receiving the product at our company, we will confirm the registration details and send you a QUO card in place of the product price.

It will take approximately 4 to 5 weeks to ship the QUO card after the product is collected. If the total number of products collected increases, it may take longer than four weeks," the company continued.

According to The Asahi Shimbun, the affected loaves have expiration dates ranging from May 7 to May 11.

The products subject to recall can be identified by a three-digit management code that begins with “A”. This code follows the “+P1” manufacturing plant code printed on the packaging.

Kenya withdraws Benylin cough syrup

Back home, in April 2024, drug regulatory authority, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), withdrew Benylin cough syrup from the market, citing safety concerns.

The board noted that the product, batch number 329,304, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson of South Africa, had an unacceptably high level of diethylene glycol, which was detected in a laboratory analysis.

Proofreading by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke