Japan’s Food Safety Scandal Hits Mister Donut

News Yahoo:

A widening Japanese food safety scandal hit an internationally popular doughnut chain on Wednesday, with Mister Donut acknowledging it used out-of-date syrups in some of its drinks earlier this year.

Mister Donut _ the iconic franchise launched in the United States in 1955 and brought to Japan in 1970 _ served “Fruity Milk” drinks made from expired melon- and strawberry-flavored syrups at shops across Japan, its operator Duskin Co. said.

The syrups, some almost 30 days past their expiry date, were used to prepare 1,075 servings of Fruity Milk sold at 181 Mister Donut outlets, according to Duskin spokesman Akira Kita.

“We’re extremely sorry for causing our customers concern and trouble,” Kita told reporters Wednesday.

Duskin said in a statement it did not think the expired syrup posed a health risk, and that it had not received any complaints from customers.

Mister Donut has gained a following among mostly younger Japanese for its American-style doughnuts, decor and music, becoming the country’s biggest donut chain.

Duskin, whose main business involves renting cleaning equipment, also operates almost 1,500 Mister Donut stores across Asia, including the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, China and South Korea.

But stores in their native United States have changed their name to Dunkin’ Donuts after Allied-Lyons acquired Mister Donut in 1990.

The scandal at Mister Donut follows a slew of food companies in Japan that have admitted using outdated ingredients or falsely labeling their products, threatening Japan’s reputation for impeccable sanitation.