Excess Food Piles Up During State Of Emergency
Japan's expanded state of emergency is forcing food wholesalers to dispose of products as sales fall.
One wholesaler that caters to restaurants is receiving far fewer orders from bars and canteens due to reduced hours and expanded remote work.
The company is using smaller trucks to carry less freight, while labor and fuel costs are becoming a strain.
At the company's warehouse in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, expired frozen seafood and vegetables are piling up, awaiting disposal for a fee.
Only a fraction of this food can be given to social-support organizations.
President Kuze Shinya says his company maintained extra inventory to avoid running out of stock, and has ended up with an excess as the state of emergency has upset the balance between supply and demand.
He says the company's efforts to propose new menus to customers is not keeping pace with the need to dispose of expired products.