TOKUSHIMA (Kyodo) Two food companies in Tokushima Prefecture that falsely labeled and sold about 70 tons of eel farmed in China and Taiwan were ordered Friday by the local government to take preventive measures, prefectural officials said.

"We falsely labeled the products because it has become difficult to respond to orders due to the decline in Tokushima-raised eels. We regret what we have done," said Yoshiichi Aoki, president of Aoki Tansui, one of the two companies. Both based in the city of Anan, the other is Takara Shokuhin.