A branch of the Fukuoka District Court on Thursday threw out a ¥605 million damages suit filed by victims of a massive food poisoning case in 1968 that was blamed on toxic cooking oil made by Kanemi Soko K.K.
The Kokura branch said the 59 victims and relatives of victims could not seek damages more than 20 years after symptoms emerged due to the "period of exclusion," a kind of statute of limitations, set out by the Civil Code.
The plaintiffs said they will appeal the ruling.