A food poisoning incident linked to grilled eel, a beloved summer treat in Japan, has resulted in over 140 people falling ill and one death, according to the president of Keikyu Department Store. Shinji Kaneko expressed his apologies for the incident that occurred after customers purchased lunch boxes containing eel from the Yokohama store, located approximately an hour from Tokyo. These customers experienced symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Kaneko confirmed the death of a female customer in her 90s and offered his profound condolences during a press conference on Monday.
The affected eel products were prepared in the traditional 'kabayaki' method, involving skewered eel that is grilled and coated with a sweet sauce made from soy sauce and mirin. Eel is a globally appreciated dish, especially in Asia, with archaeological evidence indicating its consumption in Japan for millennia. Health officials discovered staphylococcus aureus bacteria in the implicated products, as reported by Keikyu Department Store.
Kaneko emphasized the store's commitment to addressing the issue and pledged full cooperation with health authorities. The eel dishes were prepared and sold by Tokyo-based restaurant Isesada, which operates a stall within the Keikyu department store.
