OSAKA -- Meat processing firms will continue to increase production in September as sales at Nippon Meat Packers Inc., stung by a beef-mislabeling scam at its subsidiary, Nippon Food Inc., are expected to continue to decline, according to industry sources.

Nippon Meat, better known as Nippon Ham, is the industry leader.

Prima Meat Packers Ltd. and Itoham Foods Inc., which increased meat production in August by between 20 percent and 30 percent from a year earlier, plan to increase output by 20 percent in September, company officials said.