More than 10 percent of labels on perishable food failed to include information they are legally required to carry, such as place of origin, according to a government study released Friday.
The Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry said it conducted a survey from April to this month at 548 shops nationwide, examining the labels of 92,857 perishable food items.
Of the total, 11.5 percent, or 10,708 items, were found to have labels that failed to provide information required by the government.
Of the perishable goods sold at 250 specialty shops included in the survey, 53.3 percent of items had labels that fell short of the law's requirements, the ministry said.
It conducted the survey after a spate of food mislabeling frauds began surfacing in January 2002.
The ministry checked 46,300 processed food items and found that 9.1 percent of their labels were not in compliance and that 1.6 percent failed to adhere to the food hygiene law.
Of the 1,209 organic farm products examined, 10.8 percent failed to carry the Japan Agricultural Standards mark for such foods.
The ministry advised the agriculture ministry and the health ministry to ensure that food producers and related businesses meet labeling requirements, it said.