A well-known Japanese restaurant chain has made headlines after it acknowledged that a contaminated dish was served to a customer in January this year. Japanese bowl chain Sukiya has apologised after a rat was found in miso soup served at one of its stores in Tottori City (the official statement calls the rat "a foreign object.").
As per the company, around 8 am on January 21, a customer alerted staff to the "object" in their food before it was consumed. An employee verified the presence of the same. After the investigation, it was found that the contamination happened during the preparation of multiple miso soup bowls.
The staff missed spotting the rat as this particular bowl was not visually checked before being served. The restaurant claims that the incident was isolated to this single customer. Also Read: Customer Claims To Find Dead Rat In Sambar At Ahmedabad Restaurant The store immediately suspended operations for thorough hygiene inspections.
The company said that measures were taken to address cracks in the building that could lead to contamination. Employees were also given rigorous training regarding hygiene practices. The health centre was consulted the same day, and the store resumed business two days later after receiving clearance from the inspection official.
The company said that it has instructed stores nationwide to strengthen their visual inspections to prevent contamination. It cited the implementation of various procedures to keep pests and vermin away. .