KANAZAWA, Japan (Kyodo) — Food Forus Co., operator of a "yakiniku" barbecue restaurant chain involved in a string of food poisoning cases, including fatal ones, began to dissolve itself Friday, a lawyer representing the company said.
The amount of damages Food Forus needs to pay victims in the cases is believed to be at least 500 million yen, while its total debts excluding the compensation payments are estimated to reach 1 billion yen.
The company has established two subsidiaries that will administer its 20 Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu restaurants and be put up for auction together to raise funds for the compensation payments. President Yasuhiro Kanzaka has already stepped down, the lawyer said.
Four customers died and many others fell seriously ill after eating raw meat dishes at the restaurants in four prefectures. Police have been investigating the cases.
