Foods with excessive radiation under new rule found in 8 prefectures

Foods with excessive radiation under new rule found in 8 prefectures
Mainichi Japan
April 1, 2012


TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Food items containing levels of radioactive cesium exceeding a new limit, to be enforced from Sunday, have been found in 421 instances in eight prefectures since January this year, a survey by the health ministry showed Saturday.



http://www.facebook.com/nuclearfree
http://www.facebook.com/nukefree



The food items with levels exceeding 100 becquerels per kilogram of cesium were found in Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Chiba prefectures in the survey conducted through March 21, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.


Of the 421 cases, about 80 percent involved seafood and river fishes, and the remainder involved shiitake mushrooms and the meat of wild animals such as boars and birds.


Almost all cases involving vegetables related to shiitake mushrooms.


The government will enforce new ceilings on Sunday, setting a limit of 100 becquerels per kg of cesium for regular food items such as meat, vegetables and fish, 50 becquerels for milk and infant food, and 10 becquerels for drinking water.


The figures compare with the present ceilings of 500 becquerels per kg for a broad category of regular food items and 200 becquerels for milk, dairy products and water.


In Fukushima, there were 285 instances of excessive radiation in food items, followed by Ibaraki with 36 cases and Tochigi with 29.