The investigation into food-poisoning incidents caused by insecticide-tainted "gyoza" dumplings imported from China is deadlocked because Japan and China have completely different views as to where the insecticide contaminated the gyoza. China opposes Japan's view that the possibility of the contamination having occurred in Japan is extremely low.
The National Police Agency thinks that since organo-phosphate methamidophos detected in the gyoza contained a high degree of impurities, it is very likely of the type used in China as a farm chemical. Methamidophos produced in Japan is almost 100 percent pure and is used as a reagent to test residual pesticide. In NPA tests, packages containing gyoza were dipped in solutions of the insecticide for 12 hours. But the insecticide did not seep inside — pointing to a strong possibility that it entered the gyoza during processing in China. The NPA conveyed these findings to the Chinese side.
But China's Public Security Ministry says there were no circumstances which suggested that the insecticide was deliberately added to gyoza ingredients or to gyoza during processing and transportation. It also says its tests showed that methamidophos solutions seeped inside packages containing gyoza from the outside. The NPA says that since the test data sent from China were insufficient, it is impossible to re-enact the tests and verify the results.
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