Deadly E Coli Outbreak Strikes Japan
By: Anthony Adragna
Published: May 6, 2011

At least four people have died and dozens more have been sickened after consuming a tainted steak tartare dish in a popular Japanese restaurant. Among the deaths are two 6-year-old boys and a 70-year-old woman who fell ill after consuming yukhoe at Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu, a popular barbecue restaurant with more than 20 locations throughout the country. At least 70 other people have been sickened by the tainted beef and at least 20 currently remain in critical condition.
Scientists tested the beef and discovered O-111 and O-157 strains of E.coli, both of which can prove fatal. Restaurants in Japan are required to test raw meats before serving them, but failure to do so does not result in any penalties. Investigators searched the offices of Foods Forus Co., which manages the restaurant chain, for evidence.
The company president Yasuhiro Kanzaka apologized for the incident saying, "We're not strict enough [about food safety]. We'd never had a positive result [from a bacteria test], not once. So we assumed our meat would always be bacteria-free."
Photo by: Mokeneco