BREAD RECALLED IN JAPAN OVER RODENT REMAINS

Loaves of bread have been taken off store shelves in Japan after the remains of “a small animal” believed to be a rat were found. Production was halted at a Tokyo factory, with 104,000 packages being recalled, according to Pasco Shikishima Corp. The company apologized and promised compensation. Japanese media reports said at least two people who bought the bread in Gunma Prefecture,

northwest of Tokyo, complained to the company about finding a rodent in the bread. The bread had been sold in various areas, including Ibaraki, Niigata, Kanagawa, Fukushima, Aomori and Tokyo, according to Pasco. The company, based in Nagoya city, central Japan, also makes rolls, bagels and muffins. Japan boasts relatively high food safety standards.