Japan Times: Irradiated food poses moral dilemmas (Reject it or sell contaminated food anyway?)

[Poll_Blind]

From Japan Times:

Mail-order food-delivery companies and cooperatives have long been among the leading campaigners for — and custodians of — food safety in Japan.

--snip--

Now, in the wake of March 11's triple disasters — the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and tsunami, and then the nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant — these guardians of safe food in Japan are torn between supporting their longtime partners in the farming/fishing sectors in the afflicted regions of Tohoku and northern Kanto, and their consumers, who expect them to offer radiation-free, or minimally irradiated food.

The harsh reality is, however, that no food distributors have been able to provide food from these regions labeled "radiation-free." In fact, even the most environmentally conscious, anti-nuclear-power food providers have had no option but to go along with the government-stipulated safety limits, set at the end of March, of 2,000 becquerels/kg of iodine-131 for vegetables and fish, and 500 becquerels/kg of cesium-134 and cesium-137 combined for vegetables, meat, fish and eggs — levels that a wide variety of domestic produce now no longer exceeds. Prior to March 11, there were no such government standards for domestic produce.

--snip--

But even with such devices, some of which cost more than ¥15 million, their tests will for the time being be restricted to measuring levels of radioactive cesium and iodine. That's because to test for contamination by radioactive strontium-90, uranium and plutonium requires a high level of training and technique, and even government agencies don't have enough trained personnel for the task, said Yoshiaki Uchida, another Daichi official who is in charge of quality assurance at its distribution center in Narashino, Chiba Prefecture.

--snip--


However, Ishii, said it is just not realistic for the group to keep the old standard, as it is not able to compensate the huge numbers of farmers who would be affected. "It's totally understandable for consumers to turn to us, looking for radiation-free food," Ishii said. "But the truth of the matter is that there is no Noah's Ark (to take people away from all this)."

I highly recommend reading the whole article or at least skimming it. No testing for radioactive strontium-90, uranium and plutonium.

PB

[formercia]

1. Soon the Japanese themselves, will glow in the Dark.

and used food containers will serve as Night Lights.

[marions ghost]

2. The conflict bettween food wholesalers

and the public that expects "radiation-free" food (as we all would). :banghead:

"The truth of the matter is there's no Noah's ark..."
Wondering if there's radiation in the food while you're cooking it. :cry: horrible :grr:

[Poll_Blind]

3. Yeah, I can't believe they don't have a real sense of how dangerous this radioactive material is.

This is Japan, after all!

PB

[marions ghost]

4. Years of prosperity,

A new generation looking to the future, not the past. And deep denial.

If the reactors were under control the tough Japanese would cope. But this ongoing situation has got to be increasing stress, anger, and no-win moral dilemmas such as this. The people have a right to know. But there is a lot to lose. The Japanese would seem to have a deeper sense of responsibility to the good of the whole, more of a community-oriented approach to problems, but what we've seen from the gov't and TEPCO has not been reassuring. The Japanese are finding out perhaps, just how selfish people can be when under extreme dire stress. Worrying about others goes out the window.