日本农林水产部大臣太田诚一因有毒大米的丑闻而辞职。这些有毒大米被发送到学校和医院。太田诚一星期五对媒体表示，他已经向福田首相递交了辞呈。他说，这一事件对日本社会产生了影响。
有毒大米的丑闻在这个月早些时候曝光。大米交易商们承认进口了一些发霉或者是带有杀虫剂的大米。这些大米本来是工业用的。米商却把大米卖给了食品生产厂商。这些厂商用这些大米制造了各类食品，其中包括小吃和酒。太田诚一曾表示这一事件并非重大问题，他因此受到强烈批评。
Japan’s agricultural minister is stepping down over a scandal involving contaminated rice that was distributed to schools and hospitals. Seiichi Ota told reporters Friday he has offered his resignation to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. He said the scandal was having an impact on Japanese society.
The scandal broke earlier this month when rice traders admitted to importing rice tainted with mold or pesticide that was intended for industrial uses. The traders sold the rice to food makers who used it to make a variety of products, including snacks and alcohol. Ota came under fire for saying the issue was not of major importance.