Ministop, a Japanese convenience store chain, has suspended sales of in-store prepared deli items, including rice balls, bento boxes, and side dishes, at all 1,600 of its stores nationwide after discovering falsification of expiration dates. The issue was identified at 23 franchise-operated stores, primarily located in the Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo regions, where staff delayed applying expiration date labels by one to two hours post-production or replaced original labels with new ones to extend the displayed shelf life. Ministop attributed the practice to efforts to reduce food waste and costs associated with discarding unsold products. The company has halted all in-store preparation of deli items until the cause is fully investigated and corrective measures are implemented. The falsification was uncovered through double-labeling on some products. This development follows growing scrutiny over food labeling practices in Japan's retail sector.