Even with newer stricter standards for radioactive materials in food, only about 1 percent of food samples tested by the central and local governments in the past six months have failed to clear the screening, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed on Sept. 30.
Even with newer stricter standards for radioactive materials in food, only about 1 percent of food samples tested by the central and local governments in the past six months have failed to clear the screening, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed on Sept. 30.
“The spread of (radioactive) contamination is receding,” a health ministry official concluded.
The new permissible standards for radioactive contamination stipulate that the upper limit of radioactive cesium in food is 100 becquerels per kilogram. The corresponding figure for baby food and milk is 50 becquerels, while drinking water is 10 becquerels.
In the inspections that had been conducted until March, the permissible standards had been 500 becquerels per kilogram. The corresponding figure for drinking water, milk and dairy products had been 200 becquerels.
Since the new standards were introduced in April this year, the central and local governments have inspected about 114,000 food samples by the end of September. Of these, 1,394 samples, or about 1 percent, contained more radioactive materials than allowed under those standards.
Many of the samples were those of fishery products and mushrooms, the survey said.
As a result, shipment of a total of 108 food items was banned in 10 prefectures by the central government. Those food items were mainly fishery items and mushrooms.
None of the baby food and milk samples have contained more radioactive materials than the new standards.
The samples that were subject to inspection were mainly food items that had been found to contain more than 50 becquerels of radioactive materials in the past. If new standards were used in March 2012, about 2 percent of the samples would have exceeded the limit of 100 becquerels.
Immediately after the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in March 2011, radioactive materials that were scattered from the plant and fell from the sky spread the contamination. At present, radioactive cesium that has accumulated in the ground or sea is a major source of contamination.
Food sampling whose radioactive contamination have exceeded the permissible standards are centering on certain items, such as fishery products or mushrooms, which easily retain radioactive materials because of difficulties in managing their feed or soil.
All of those fishery products are demersal fish, such as flatfish and Pacific cod, and river fish, including char. Demersal fish are bottom feeders that readily take cesium from their feed. River fish characteristically have difficultly in discharging cesium from their bodies.
Food items whose samples contained more radioactive materials than the new permissible standards are not distributed to retailers because producers are imposing voluntary restraints on their shipments or the central government is instructing them to suspend their shipment.
One of the conditions for lifting the directive is that all of the samples of the item contain less radioactive materials than the new standards in an inspection done during the previous month.
As fish and wild animals move around, however, it is more difficult to evaluate their food safety than vegetables.
“We cannot set clear standards for them,” said a health ministry official in charge of the issue.
During the period from April to August, there were 14 cases in which food that had been already distributed were found to contain more radioactive materials than the standards.
Food inspections by the central and local governments are mainly conducted on pre-shipment products. The number of products that are inspected after being distributed is much smaller.
As for products that have been already distributed, the central government has inspected only about 100 samples per month. None of the distributed products inspected by the central government have found to be containing more radioactive materials than the new standards.
Meanwhile, anxieties that spread among consumers immediately after the Fukushima nuclear accident are gradually subsiding.
Kiyokazu Ujiie, assistant professor of food consumption analysis at the University of Tsukuba’s graduate school, asked married women in the Tokyo metropolitan area in June if they knew the new permissible standards. Twenty-two percent said that they knew the contents of the new standards and 63 percent replied that they had heard of them.
Asked whether they would buy spinach that was produced in Fukushima Prefecture but contained less radioactive materials than the standards, 41 percent replied they would not buy it at any price. The figure was a decrease of 6 points from February.
On the other hand, those who said that they will buy the spinach if the price is 10 to 50 yen (13 to 64 cents) cheaper than that produced in other prefectures stood at 32 percent. It marked an increase of eight points from February.
“Thanks to the introduction of the stricter standards, consumers’ evaluations of agricultural products produced in Fukushima Prefecture have apparently improved,” Ujiie said.