The Consumer Affairs Agency has inspected two hotels in Osaka over food mislabeling at their restaurants, according to sources.
The inspection at the Ritz-Carlton Osaka, operated by Hanshin Hotel Systems under the umbrella of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., was conducted Monday, while that at Hotel New Hankyu Osaka, run by Hankyu Hanshin Hotels Co., began Monday and stretched into Tuesday, the sources said.
The inspections were the first conducted by the agency following the series of revelations of false claims about food, including at department stores.
At the two Osaka hotels, agency officials checked records of purchases of food materials and ledgers on suspicion they violated the truth-in-advertising law, the sources said Tuesday.
Hankyu Hanshin Hotels has admitted that ingredients different than what was described on menus were used at its eight hotels, while the Ritz-Carlton Osaka has said some of the premium ingredients listed on its restaurant and room service menus were replaced with cheaper or more easily sourced alternatives.