Tokyo, Sept 19 - Japan's farm minister offered to resign on Friday because of a scandal involving tainted rice fed to hospital patients and schoolchildren, the latest in a string of food industry scares that has undermined the public's trust in what they eat.
"I thought I needed to make a political decision because of what has turned into a big problem for society," Seiichi Ota told a news conference.
If the offer is accepted, Ota would be fourth farm minister to step down in two years, with his predecessors caught up in expenses scandals. Ota, appointed last month, also faced reports of financial irregularities but has denied any wrongdoing. The food scandal, in which small companies sold rice contaminated with pesticides and mould to food and liquor companies, comes as the ruling party gears up for a lower house election which media have reported could take place as early as next month.
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to vote for a new prime minister on Monday after Yasuo Fukuda quit abruptly this month.
The rice scandal has further unnerved consumers, whose trust in the food industry has been shattered by repeated quality and false labelling scandals in recent years ranging from sweets to milk and meat.
The government has suspended rice imports and announced new rules to stop the sale of imported rice found to be unfit for consumption. Traders previously had the option of selling such tainted rice for use in fertilisers or glue, but will in the future be forced to ship it back.