Ajisen apologizes for soup scandal
By Lydia Chen |
00:22 UTC+8 August 13, 2011
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AJISEN (China) Holdings Ltd, the brand licensing operator of Ajisen Ramen on Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, yesterday apologized for "an inappropriate description" of the nutritional content of its soup base.
The operator of the Japanese-style noodle restaurants said sorry to customers and China Agricultural University over the calcium content of its soup base. It misinterpreted a report from the university, the Hong Kong-listed firm said in a statement on its website.
Ajisen was last month exposed as using liquid concentrates in its soup instead of cooking it fresh at each restaurant, as it claimed in advertisements. It was also accused of exaggerating the nutritional value of its noodles.
The restaurant operator responded that it used pig bones to make a soup concentrate that eateries then diluted. It also said the amount of calcium in the soup was accurate because it had been confirmed in a test conducted by China Agricultural University.
However, the university denied it had anything to do with Ajisen, but admitted it had tested a soup base of an unknown brand in 2006 at the request of the China Cuisine Association. The university said it didn't know the soup base was Ajisen's and that the result would be used for commercial purposes, said Fan Zhihong, a professor with the university.
Media reports later said Ajisen paid 6,000 yuan (US$939) for the test results.
In yesterday's statement, Ajisen assured customers the pig bone soup base was "up to national food safety requirements" and pledged to comply with applicable laws to make "true and legitimate" statements in its food advertisements.
It also promised to assume liability for any food safety problems and not use banned additives in its food.
The operator of the Japanese-style noodle restaurants said sorry to customers and China Agricultural University over the calcium content of its soup base. It misinterpreted a report from the university, the Hong Kong-listed firm said in a statement on its website.
Ajisen was last month exposed as using liquid concentrates in its soup instead of cooking it fresh at each restaurant, as it claimed in advertisements. It was also accused of exaggerating the nutritional value of its noodles.
The restaurant operator responded that it used pig bones to make a soup concentrate that eateries then diluted. It also said the amount of calcium in the soup was accurate because it had been confirmed in a test conducted by China Agricultural University.
However, the university denied it had anything to do with Ajisen, but admitted it had tested a soup base of an unknown brand in 2006 at the request of the China Cuisine Association. The university said it didn't know the soup base was Ajisen's and that the result would be used for commercial purposes, said Fan Zhihong, a professor with the university.
Media reports later said Ajisen paid 6,000 yuan (US$939) for the test results.
In yesterday's statement, Ajisen assured customers the pig bone soup base was "up to national food safety requirements" and pledged to comply with applicable laws to make "true and legitimate" statements in its food advertisements.
It also promised to assume liability for any food safety problems and not use banned additives in its food.
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