Japanese dessert shop accused of extending chocolate expiry dates
According to reports, at least 200 products had expiry dates extended by more than eight months. Authorities have now initiated an investigation.
As reported by Asahi Shimbun, a former employee of the "CHEZ Tani" store in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, revealed the main affected products were almond chocolates. When these chocolates did not sell, staff would remove labels showing the expiry dates and replace them with new ones that extended the dates by several months.
The chocolates were originally produced in Sept. 2022 for sale during Valentine's Day in Feb. 2023. With many chocolates unsold and their expiry date approaching in late May, the store began changing the labels in late April to extend the expiry date to the end of July.
It was reported that out of 1,000 items, 200 had their labels changed. A former employee disclosed that their supervisor had instructed that the dates "could be marked arbitrarily," with some products even extending their expiry dates to the end of Feb. 2024.
Manufacturers set sell-by dates as the recommended consumption period for optimal flavor, not as an indication of spoilage. Professional food manufacturers establish these dates after extensive testing to determine the best taste and preservation times, typically setting the sell-by date at two-thirds the product's lifespan.
Local health authorities have stated that "CHEZ Tani's" actions in altering expiry date labels might violate food labeling laws, prompting an official investigation.
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