In their rush to reassure consumers, retailers and cooperatives are drawing up their own radiation safety standards for food--and causing even more confusion among the public about what is safe to eat.
In their rush to reassure consumers, retailers and cooperatives are drawing up their own radiation safety standards for food--and causing even more confusion among the public about what is safe to eat.
Some experts are now questioning whether the consumer food safety campaign is of any realistic help.
The Aeon Co., for example, announced last November that it would not sell any food that contains even minute traces of radioactive materials. The company operates about 1,000 supermarkets around Japan.
Aeon's decision drew strong criticism from Hideaki Karaki, the head of the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts who is an expert on food safety and a former vice president of the Science Council of Japan.
At a symposium in Tokyo in November, Karaki said the Aeon decision "rejects the safety standards set by the central government and could give the impression that those standards are unreliable."
After the meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant last March, the central government established provisional standards to be used to order the stoppage of shipments of food that have been contaminated by radioactive materials.
To prevent radiation exposure from cesium from exceeding an annual level of 5 millisieverts, standards of 500 bequerels per kilogram of meat and vegetables were established as a guideline for deciding if shipments should be allowed.
The provisional standards were designed to limit radiation exposure even as officials feared that food contaminated with radioactive materials would eventually enter the distribution chain.
Karaki fears that consumers may come to believe that only food with no radiation is safe if retailers implement a policy of selling only radiation-free foods.
Because major retailers exert a huge influence on consumers, Karaki said such decisions would only "encourage the mood in society that achieving zero risk was the right way to go."
Yasuhide Chikazawa, the Aeon executive in charge of food safety management, said: "No matter how much one says the food is safe by making explanations using scientific reasons, consumers will not trust it. It is the responsibility of the retailing sector to provide a readily understandable safety definition."
Aeon began testing its produce within days of the crisis that flared at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Initially, it set up an internal standard of 50 becquerels as the cutoff point for deciding whether to sell a product. That is 10 percent of the central government's standard. The company raised its bar even further last November.
"We can build up trust with our customers as we move to approach a zero reading for radioactive materials" in products, Chikazawa said.
Organizations that sell produce directly to members have also established their own standards.
Radishboya Co., which delivers organic produce to members, made 50 becquerels per kilogram for vegetables, rice, meat and eggs its benchmark last September. The decision came in response to calls from members for stricter standards than those set by the central government.
Hiroshi Chikaato, a director of the company, said the standard was established after intense discussion about what would "convince our customers."
It was thought the figure could be easily grasped because it constituted 10 percent of the central government standard. Thus, anyone eating food with such levels of radiation over an 80-year period would only be exposed to a total of less than 100 millisieverts.
With the 50-becquerel ceiling, no food with higher readings is sold to members. This mean the company takes on the loss itself if readings exceed the standard.
To date, Radishboya has stopped shipments of eight products. They include mushrooms, chestnuts and "yuzu" citrus. This resulted in a loss to the company of some 10 million yen ($130,000).
"That is a large amount, but there was nothing we could do," Chikaato said. "Customers are looking for an outlet they can depend on. We in a sense are shouldering the risk of our customers."
While the effort is laudable, it has resulted in markedly different safety standards co-existing in the marketplace.
Four companies that deliver produce directly to members formed a joint committee to consider the issue of radiation in food. The four organizations are Daichi wo Mamoru Kai (Association to preserve the Earth), Pal System Consumers Cooperative Union, Seikatsu Club and Cataloghouse Ltd.
The aim of the committee is to propose safety standards that consumers can understand and believe in.
Tetsuya Ebisudani, who is in charge of radiation issues at Daichi wo Mamoru Kai, said: "Reducing radioactive fallout to the absolute minimum is the ideal. But the reality is that it is falling on our Earth and oceans. We need to think about appropriate standards from the perspective of how we should cope with the radiation that is all around us."
The joint committee offers one avenue to alleviate consumer concern. Other individual organizations have already set their own standards.
For example, Pal System in October established its own standards of 40 becquerels per kilogram for milk and dairy products.
Cataloghouse is selling produce at its Tokyo outlet that has radiation levels below those established in the Ukraine of 40 becquerels for vegetables and 70 becquerels for fruit.
No decision has yet been made on whether the four organizations will eventually use the same joint standards.
"After we began our discussions, we came to realize that the process is much more difficult than we initially expected," said Ebisudani. "In deciding the basis for establishing standards, we will listen to the opinions of experts. After careful consideration, we will make a decision."