Sukiya customer in Japan finds dead rat in miso soup, chain apologises & cites ’employee error’

Sukiya apologises after customer in Japan finds dead rat in miso soup

Beef bowl chain Sukiya issued an apology on Saturday (22 March) after a customer was served miso soup containing a dead rat at one of its outlets in Tottori City, Japan earlier this year.

Source: Google Maps

According to Tokyo Reporter, the shocking discovery occurred in January when a diner at the Tottori Minamiyoshikata outlet alerted staff to a “foreign object” in their soup.

The customer later posted a photo of the incident on Google Reviews. The images quickly spread online, leaving patrons of the popular Japanese chain horrified and disgusted.

Source: FanPlus

Sukiya confirmed in a statement that the object was, indeed, a rat.

Investigation blames ’employee error’

Following the incident, the outlet was immediately shut down for inspection.

Sukiya explained that thorough hygiene checks were conducted, cracks in the building were sealed, and additional training was provided to staff on proper hygiene management, including mandatory visual checks before serving food.

The local health centre was consulted on the same day.

Two days later, the outlet resumed operations after passing a health inspection.

An internal investigation found that the rat was likely mixed in during ingredient preparation due to an employee’s failure to properly check the food before serving.

To prevent future incidents, Sukiya announced tighter pest control measures at its outlets, including refrigerated storage for food waste to deter vermin.

Delayed announcement sparks customer outrage

Sukiya also admitted that it failed to make a public announcement when the incident first occurred, which caused confusion and anxiety among customers when the news resurfaced.

Bloomberg reported that shares of Zensho Holdings, the parent company of Sukiya, have dropped 7.1% since February in the wake of the incident.

“We deeply regret the distress caused and sincerely apologise to our customers and all concerned parties,” the company said in its statement.

“We have once again instructed outlets nationwide to thoroughly visually inspect products before serving them in order to prevent contamination,” it added.

Also read: Rat Seemingly Passed Out On Tray At Tangs Food Court, SFA Investigating

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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and FanPlus.