Dumpling Terrorists

Don't think about pink lions or orange elephants with green spots.

Okay. Got those pictures out of your mind now?

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary is warning against making up possible causes for the poisoning of frozen chinese dumplings (gyoza, jiaozi) that found their way into an Osaka supermarket.

Eleven packages of dumplings were recalled after they were found to be tainted with "the highly toxic organophosphate pesticide, called methamidophos" So far, 10 people in three families  have suffer food poisoning in Chiba and Hyogo prefectures since December.

Police have determined that the poison was mixed in either before or during the packaging process. Whew! At least they have ruled out after.

The poison was found on the package and on the inside of the package. The packages with poison on the inside had no punctures, holes or scratches.

One package had a hole in it but the dumplings inside were not contaminated.

Tianyang Food of China's Hebei Province made the dumplings and a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco, JT Foods Co imported them through an intermediary – Sojitz Foods Corp.

I am reminded of the Glieco incidents that were going on when I first got to Japan in the 80's. Some dude poisoned sweets from Gleico, then extorted money from them. The guy was never caught, but the poisoning incidents finally stopped.

There was another incident in Wakayama at a curry contest where one chef poisoned the curry of another chef. Hmm… 

Extortion again? Competition? Terrorism at the dumpling level?

In any event, that sticky texture and unusual odor that you are sensing is NOT a new flavor.

Be careful out there.

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