Two companies said Thursday they were recalling all undelivered cloth masks they had supplied under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's mask handout program aimed at tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, after numerous complaints of tainted products earlier this month.
Trading house Itochu Corp. and pharmaceutical and medical equipment maker Kowa Co. said they had also found similar problems with masks still in their inventories.
The government's effort to distribute protective cloth masks in its battle against the new coronavirus has been marred by complaints about stains, insects and mold, fueling further concern that the government has botched its handling of the pandemic.