Information on the Food Label
“I don’t know what I can trust for our food.” This is how a Japanese woman on the street responded to an interviewer on a television program regarding several food safety issues in Japan.
Recent Chinese-manufactured Gyoza (dumpling) incidents have made consumers investigate where their food is
manufactured and has made them more careful when they buy. When they pick up a package of frozen food at the supermarket, they look at the background information on the package, and put it back when it says ‘made in China’.
Looking at Food Labels with Doubts
Such careful examination of background information on food packaging might not always guarantee food safety. Background information on food packaging may be fraudulent and the food may contain ingredients different from those shown on the label. The expiry date on the food may also be incorrect. People still remember the fraudulent actions of Japanese food manufacturers and restaurants such as Fujiya and Semba Kiccho, which were uncovered last year. Due to these incidents of fraud, Japanese consumers have started to look at the background information on food packaging with suspicion.
Increase in the Number of Complaints
Naturally, the number of consumer complaints about products and services has been on the increase. The Consumer Affairs Centre of Japan received over 8,000 complaints in 2006, about 2.5 times more than in 2002 (Source: 2007, Consumer Affairs Centre of Japan website). “Don’t complain. Don’t make waves.” These saying do not seem to be popular in
Forgotten Total Quality Philosophy
These recent incidents make us wonder – wasn’t it Japanese companies from the 1950s to the 1990s that developed and practiced various quality control approaches such as Kaizen, QC circle, and fishbone diagram? Consumers used to trust manufactures to provide quality products and services without holding any doubts; but not now. This may be the right time, therefore, for Japanese companies to revisit past practices to win back consumer trust.
March 01 2008 09:55 am | Clothing, Food and Housing
