Lawson Inc. said Monday it used meat products past their expiration date in "oden," a type of stew popular in winter, at an outlet in Osaka.
There were no reports of anyone being sickened by the food, which included sausages and meatballs at least a day beyond their sell-by date, the convenience store chain said on its Web site. It said sales of oden were suspended at the store Thursday.
The announcement follows a series of food recalls as companies cut costs to combat rising ingredient prices. The operator of four McDonald's Holdings Co. Japan Ltd. outlets last week said it falsely labeled unsold salads to make them appear fresh, while in October, Duskin Co. used expired ingredients for drinks at its Mister Donut stores. Earlier this year, sweets maker Fujiya Co. was forced to suspend operations for using old eggs and milk in some products.