Mitsui & Co. spent about Y2.5 billion yen to acquire a 37% stake in Allied Pacific.

Allied Pacific is a Chinese firm that farms and processes shrimp.

Consumers in Japan, the U.S. and Europe have become increasingly sensitive to food safety.

Mistui saw a business opportunity by securing a stable supply of shrimp for which traceability would not be a problem.

Allied Pacific owns shrimp-farming and feed-production facilities:

1. on Hainan Island.

2. in the city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province

3. in Dalian.

Allied Pacific's headquarters are in Dalian and it exports some 13,000 tons of shrimp a year.

The Chinese firm plans to use the Mistsui investment to upgrade its farming facilities.

Trading house Mitsui has a plan to spend a total of roughly Y80 billion fiscal 2010 to secure food resources.

Will you feel it safer to eat shrimp from China if Japan is involved? 

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