Arrest Made In Japan Tainted Frozen Food

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese police have arrested a suspect in a recent poisoning case that prompted a recall of more than 6 million packages of frozen food.

Police said Sunday that they arrested Toshiki Abe, a worker at the subsidiary of Maruha Nichiro Holdings Inc., where the tainted food was found. Abe denies the charges.

Kyodo News service reported that 2,800 people across Japan may have been sickened by the tainted food, including pizzas, croquettes and pancakes manufactured at a plant north of Tokyo.

Other details were not immediately available.

Kyodo said Abe is suspected of lacing the food with poison four times in October, adding malathion, the pesticide used, was found in his possessions.

Maruha Nichiro announced executive pay cuts and President Toshio Kushiro is resigning in March to take responsibility.