Three held over Hida beef scam

GIFU (Kyodo) The former president of meat wholesaler Maruaki and two other people were arrested in Yoro, Gifu Prefecture, on Saturday for allegedly mislabeling and marketing an inferior grade of Hida beef as top quality.

Falsely labeled?: Akiichi Yoshida (covered with jacket), former president of meat wholesaler Maruaki, is escorted to a police station in Yoro, Gifu Prefecture, early Saturday to answer for a scandal involving false labeling of beef products. KYODO PHOTO

The suspects, including former Maruaki President Akiichi Yoshida, 65, are suspected of having sold 600 kg of fourth-ranked Hida beef falsely labeled as top grade, or fifth-ranked, in November last year to a beer manufacturer.

The two other suspects are Yoshida's son and former board member Kenji, 38, and Yoshida's sister Kayoko, 56, who is a Maruaki employee.