Five executives of Kyowa Perfumery & Chemical Co. were indicted Thursday over the firm's alleged use of banned substances in flavorings made at its factory in Ibaraki Prefecture from 2001 to 2002.

The summary indictment was filed with the Hitachi Summary Court.

Among those indicted is Akio Hirase, 56, president of Tokyo-based Kyowa Perfumery. Police sent the case to prosecutors in September.

The executives are suspected of violating the Food Sanitation Law by producing 1.49 tons of flavoring using acetaldehyde and two other banned substances between April 2001 and May 2002 at a factory in Juo, Ibaraki Prefecture.

The company was identified last year as having produced 450 flavors containing banned substances that were sold to food makers.

Kyowa Perfumery was declared bankrupt in August after authorities ordered it to shut down the Juo factory indefinitely.

A number of food makers filed damages suits against the company after being forced to withdraw from the market all products containing Kyowa Perfumery flavorings.

Kyowa Perfumery is burdened with liabilities totaling an estimated 12 billion yen.