Five people, including the president of an Osaka-based wholesaler, were arrested Feb. 10 for selling pesticide-tainted imported rice as edible, police said.

Mikasa Foods President Mitsuo Fuyuki, 73, and others are suspected of purchasing Vietnamese-grown rice, which was tainted with agricultural chemicals, as a material for industrial glue, and reselling it for human consumption to six brewing companies in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures between January and August last year, according to the investigation.

The amount of tainted rice sold is estimated at around 896 tons, the police said.

It is believed the rice was distributed to around 400 firms, including breweries and confection makers, according to informed sources.