農薬混入事件 「食の安全」揺るがす内部犯行

The Yomiuri Shimbun January 27, 2014
Sense of food safety badly shaken by in-company poisoning of food
農薬混入事件　「食の安全」揺るがす内部犯行（1月27日付・読売社説）

The latest food poisoning case has shaken Japan’s sense of food safety and increased people’s distrust of food makers. Investigators must expedite their efforts to elucidate the facts in this case.
　日本の「食の安全」を揺るがし、食品メーカーへの不信を増大させた。捜査当局は真相解明を急ぐべきである。

A 49-year-old contract worker at the plant where frozen food was laced with the agricultural chemical malathion has been arrested by the Gunma prefectural police on suspicion of obstructing business. The suspect worked at the Gunma plant of Aqli Foods Corp., a subsidiary of leading food maker Maruha Nichiro Holdings Inc.
　食品大手「マルハニチロホールディングス」の子会社「アクリフーズ」群馬工場で製造された冷凍食品に農薬マラチオンが混入された事件で、群馬県警が工場の契約社員の男（４９）を偽計業務妨害容疑で逮捕した。

The man is suspected of lacing frozen food produced at the plant with malathion on four occasions in October.
　男は昨年１０月、工場で製造する冷凍食品に４回にわたり、マラチオンを混入した疑いがある。

About 2,800 people across the country have complained of feeling ill after eating pizza and other frozen food produced at the plant.
　工場で製造されたピザなどを食べ、体調不良を訴えた人は全国で約２８００人に上る。

During questioning, the man reportedly told police, “I don’t remember,” and his motive remains unclear.
　男は調べに対し、「覚えていない」と話しているという。まだ動機も判然としない。

We hope the Gunma prefectural police will probe the matter thoroughly to find out how the food was laced with the chemical and clarify the context of the inside job.
群馬県警は、農薬の混入方法、事件の背景などを徹底的に究明してもらいたい。

The presidents of Maruha Nichiro Holdings and Aqli Foods have announced they will resign at the end of March to take responsibility for the latest incident.
　マルハニチロの久代敏男社長とアクリフーズ社長は、３月末で引責辞任することを表明した。

The companies failed to respond promptly, taking 1½ months to launch a self-imposed recall of products after receiving a complaint in November of an odd odor from pizza manufactured at the plant. As both companies have lost their credibility with consumers, their resignation is natural.
　昨年１１月、工場で製造されたピザを食べた消費者から異臭の苦情があってから自主回収まで１か月半も要し、対応が遅れた。信頼を失墜した以上、辞任は当然だ。

85% of frozen food recalled

The recall rate of frozen food produced since October at the Gunma plant remains at about 85 percent. Maruha Nichiro must continue calling on consumers to return the products in question.
　１０月以降に群馬工場で製造した冷凍食品の回収率は約８５％にとどまる。マルハは引き続き、返品を呼びかける必要がある。

A mindset of “food defense” to prevent food from being contaminated intentionally with foreign substances has prevailed in the food industry since pesticide-laced gyoza produced at a Chinese plant was imported into Japan in 2008.
　食品業界では２００８年に発覚した中国製冷凍ギョーザ中毒事件後、意図的な異物混入を防ぐ「フードディフェンス（食品防御）」の考え方が広がっている。

At the Gunma plant, workers are required to wear uniforms without pockets, while monitors to keep an eye on other workers have been placed on production lines.
　この群馬工場でも、従業員にポケットのない作業着の着用を義務づけ、製造ラインに監視役の従業員も配置していた。

Yet there is no inspection of workers’ belongings when they enter the plant. Some workers said chemicals could be brought into the plant if they were hidden inside the lower sleeve of the uniform.
　しかし、工場に入る際の持ち物検査などはなく、「袖口に忍び込ませれば、農薬を持ち込むことはできる」と話す従業員もいる。

The present state of quality control, including the system for food safety control, of the entire Maruha group needs to be examined for possible defects, as does the system for educating employees.
　グループ全体の食品安全管理体制を含めた品質管理のあり方や、従業員教育などに問題がなかったか。検証が必要だろう。

The latest incident has also sounded an alarm bell for the entire food industry.
　今回の事件は、業界全体にも警鐘を鳴らしている。

Although it can be difficult for companies to take the view that human nature is inherently bad, it is essential to prevent workers with ill intentions from doing bad things. Companies must improve their in-house systems, including boosting monitoring of employees to make such illicit acts difficult.
　性悪説に立つことは難しいかもしれないが、悪意を持つ従業員の不正を防ぐことが何よりも重要だ。そうした行為を難しくするための監視強化など、社内体制の整備が各社に求められる。

Maruha Nichiro has revised downward its earnings forecast for the business term ending this March, primarily due to suspended production at the Gunma plant and its sluggish sales.
　マルハニチロは２０１４年３月期決算の業績予想を下方修正した。群馬工場の製造を中止し、販売不振に陥ったのが主因だ。

Companies in the food industry must understand it is difficult for a company that has lost consumers’ trust to recover it.
　いったん失った消費者の信頼回復の道が険しいことを、業界各社は肝に銘じなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 27, 2014)
（2014年1月27日01時32分  読売新聞）