The government may punish the farm ministry if administrative problems turn up during the investigation of a beef-mislabeling scam perpetrated by the Nippon Meat Packers Inc. group, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Tuesday.
"There may be structural problems in the industry as well as its relation with the administration side," Fukuda said. "If so, both sides must mend their bad practices."
Asked whether the administrative checking system for the meat industry is adequate, Fukuda conceded that problems may exist at the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.
"That's possible," he said, "although there is no evidence to say so definitely."
The government's top spokesman also stressed the need for the probe to be conducted in a brisk manner.
On Tuesday, the farm ministry began investigating all unchecked beef that a subsidiary of Nippon Meat Packers, better known as Nippon Ham, submitted to a state buyback program.