Bread manufacturer Ryoyu Bread Co. announced Wednesday that it began to voluntarily withdraw its sweetened buns after it was found that some of the products were moldy.
Ryoyu Bread, based in Onojo, Fukuoka Prefecture, plans to withdraw a total of 23,000 Long Life Jam Bread buns from the market, officials said.
The company also decided to suspend the operation of its plant in the town of Sadowara, Miyazaki Prefecture, where the preserves-filled buns were manufactured.
The buns have been distributed to Kyushu and Yamaguchi, Shimane, Hiroshima and Okayama prefectures, according to the officials.
Meanwhile, the Miyazaki Prefectural Government began investigating the case of a 9-year-old boy who complained of stomach pains after eating a bun Friday.
Health officials of the local government said he is exhibiting symptoms of food poisoning.
Bug found in a bun
OTSU, Shiga Pref. (Kyodo) A live cockroach was found in the plastic package of a sweetened bun sold at a supermarket in Azuchi, Shiga Prefecture, it was learned Wednesday.
A female consumer found the 1-cm long bug in the package of the bean jam-filled bun in July, shop officials said.
The supermarket and the manufacturer of the bun have started investigating how the bug got there, the officials said. Neither were identified.