Ministop, misconduct revealed in 23 stores involving "relabeling" of expiration dates—Sales of in-store prepared rice balls, side dishes, and bento boxes halted at all stores

The major convenience store chain Ministop has announced that inappropriate actions were taken in some of its stores regarding the "handmade rice balls," "handmade bento boxes," and "in-store processed delicacies" produced on-site. These actions included delaying the attachment of expiration date labels to effectively extend the shelf life and replacing labels on products that had already been displayed, thereby deviating from product manufacturing rules. Following this announcement, the company halted the production of handmade rice balls and bento boxes at all stores starting August 9, and from August 18, it also stopped the sale of in-store processed delicacies at all locations. The company stated that these activities will not resume "until the investigation is complete and improvement measures are thoroughly implemented." As of the current inspection results, irregularities have been confirmed in 23 stores across seven prefectures: Saitama, Tokyo, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Fukuoka, with no reports of health issues. The official document states that the affected stores have been reported to the health authorities, and efforts are being made to determine the cause and prevent recurrence, with a contact center provided for inquiries. This article will provide a detailed report based on primary sources and reliable news, covering the background, methods of misconduct, scope, legal positioning, impact on the industry and consumers, and basic knowledge understandable to foreign readers.