Key Facts
• Ministop admitted to expiration label errors at 23 stores nationwide, including Tokyo and Osaka.
• Handmade rice balls were left without labels for 1–2 hours, extending expiration periods.
• Some products had expiration labels replaced after being returned to the kitchen.
• Ministop also confirmed similar issues with handmade bento meals and fried foods.
• Nationwide sales of in-store prepared foods, including rice balls, have been suspended.
• The issue arose due to high production costs and reluctance to discard unsold items.
• Ministop is conducting an emergency investigation and will release findings promptly.
Summary
Ministop, a convenience store chain, has come under scrutiny for tampering with expiration dates on its handmade rice balls and other in-store prepared foods. The company admitted to errors at 23 stores, where products were left unlabeled for hours or had labels replaced to extend their shelf life. This practice, described as “expiration fraud,” has led to the suspension of sales for all in-store prepared foods nationwide. The issue is believed to stem from high production costs and efforts to avoid waste. Ministop has launched an emergency investigation to determine the root cause and plans to disclose the results soon.
