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JFTC issues Warning on Representations of Cooking Oil Disposers Flushed into Drains

JFTC issues Warning on Representations of Cooking Oil Disposers Flushed into Drains

April 21/2004
Japan Fair Trade Commission

The Fair Trade Commission(JFTC) conducted an investigation into representations about cooking oil disposers (Hereinafter “cooking oil disposers”) flushed into drains after being mixed with used cooking oil (hereinafter “cooking oil”), and found that five companies: UYEKI Corporation, N&S K.K., Nisshin Medico Co.,Ltd, Toho Tech K.K., and K.K. Top Eye made the representations shown in the attachment, and today gave an warning to the five companies to the effect that there is a possibility that they will be in violation of Section 4 (prohibition of misleading representations) of the Premiums and Representations Act.

The JFTC requested National Consumer Affairs Center to carry out a test on the environmentally adverse effects of cooking oil caused by the use of the products in question for this investigation and used the results of the test. The JFTC will continue to cooperate with the Center.

1. Profile of concerned parties

Company name Address
UYEKI Corporation Yodogawa Ward, Osaka
N&S K.K. Nangoku City, Kochi Prefecture
Nisshin Medico Co.,Ltd Higashi Ward, Nagoya City
Toho Tech K.K. Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture
K.K. Top Eye Higashi Ward, Nagoya City

2. Outline of suspected violation

With respect to cooking oil disposers sold to general consumers through sales companies, the five companies made the representations shown in the attachment, suggesting that the use of the products in question will minimize the adverse effects of cooking oil on the environment. In fact, the effects on the environment cannot be reduced from the viewpoint of water contamination caused by organic matter, thereby potentially causing misunderstanding among general consumers.

Attachment

Company name
[product name]
(product type)
Medium of representation Details of representation
UYEKI Corporation
[Abura Kokku-san](cooking oil disposer)
Container A photograph at the front shows “Abura Kokku-san,” which is added to cooking oil together with water and is drained from a pan, and the statement “dispose of oil without causing waste” is shown in large letters beside the photograph
This company’s shopping website is established in “Yahoo! Shopping” A photograph shows “Abura Kokku-san” which is added to cooking oil together with water and is drained from the pan, and the statements of “can be drained as is” and “this is an environmentally-friendly waste oil disposer” are shown in the part explaining the photograph in the same screen.
N&S K.K.
[Abura Katabura]
(Cooking oil disposer)
Container A drawing at the front shows “Abura Katabura” which is added to cooking oil and is drained from a pan, and the statement that “drain while mixing with hot or cold water” is shown in the part explaining the drawing. The statement of “easy and can be drained as is using water” is shown in large letters at the side.
Leaflet The statement of “can be drained as is simply by mixing” is shown in large letters, and in addition a photograph shows that “Abura Katabura” and water or hot water which are added to a frying pan with cooking oil are flushed from the frying pan into a drain. The statement of “being flushed into drains as is (no need to worry about draining because it does not ham the environment)” is shown in the part explaining the photograph.
Nisshin Medico Co., Ltd.
[Abura Sara-sara]
(Kitchen synthetic detergent)
Website of Nissin Medico The statements of “the environmental burden in terms of the BOD and COD wastewater indexes is almost the same as that from washing water from pickles” is shown for “Abura Sara-sara” mixed with cooking oil and water.
Toho Tech K.K.
[Clean-clean]
(Synthetic detergent for equipment)
Container The statement of “environmentally friendly and easy to use,” etc. is shown at the front.
Website of Toyo Tech The statement of “very environmentally friendly product,” etc. is shown.
Leaflet The statement of “environmentally friendly and easy to use,” etc. is shown.
K.K. Top Eye
[Oil Nyuka Ace]
(Emulsifying agnet)
Container The statement “Tempura oil turning into water!?” is shown at the front, and a drawing shows that “Oil Nyuka Ace” which is mixed with cooking oil and water is flushed from a tempura pan into a sewer. In addition, the statements of “oil changing into water!?,” “can be flushed!?,” and “by draining it into a sewer as is, the pipe can be cleaned while preserving the environment,” etc. are shown in the part explaining the drawing. In addition, the statement “an ecological product preserving the environment,” etc. is shown at the back.
Shopping website of this company established in the “Rakuten Market The “Oil Nyuka Ace” with the title “environmental and ecological product” is shown in the part explaining the product lines of this company. A drawing indicated in the part explaining the products shows that “Oil Nyuka Ace,” which is mixed with cooking oil and water, is drained from a tempura pan into a sewer. In addition, the statements “oil changing into water!?,” “can be flushed!?,” and “by draining it into a sewer as is, oil spots in the sewer can be cleaned while preserving the environment,” etc. are shown in the part explaining the drawing.

*Every announcement is tentative translation. Please refer to the original text written in Japanese.

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