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Beef ban extended to Tochigi Prefecture

12 Comments

Tochigi Prefecture on Tuesday became the 4th prefecture to have beef shipments suspended due to the continuing nuclear crisis in Fukushima.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a news conference that he had ordered the prefecture to suspend all shipments of beef after three head of cattle were found to be contaminated with radioactive cesium.

So far, beef shipments have been banned from Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. Beef contamination has been shown to be as high as 2,300 becquerels per kilogram, compared to the government limit of 500 becquerels.

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12 Comments
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No word on banning other meat products, fruit and veg?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

More will be added before this is all done, and all will have been added to late. Had they done more about this earlier that may not necessarily have been the case. Agree with Osakadaz that they should all sue the pants off TEPCO. Sadly, that will take years while they lose everything, and even then I suspect TEPCO will long before have filed for protection from creditors and declared bankruptcy.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It grows. Suing, unfortunately, won't fix the land, but it may provide some relief to the families there... for a short period of time. Not sure what is left of those areas to stick around and rebuild for? Seems contamination has taken it's stranglehold on food and agriculture. Those poor people up there.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Up to four now, and counting. Good luck Japan.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

For those of you who missed it (in another thread), here's a pdf from MEXT in english that gives the fallout by prefecture, typically measured at just one location in each prefecture:

http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/other/detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/07/29/1306949_072914.pdf

Highlights: Fallout in Fukushima and Miyagi is not reported, these are certainly No. 1 and possibly No. 2. In March, Ibaraki got the highest amount of Caesium, almost double that in Yamagata and Tokyo. Tochigi was next, but got the highest level of Iodine anywhere reported. In April, Ibaraki again got the highest reported levels, with Tochigi second, but these were much lower than in March. Fallout for May has not been reported.

It's not surprising Tochigi beef is contaminated. (Some) agricultural products from (parts of) Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Nagano and Shizuoka will be contaminated, the only question is at what level. And the real worry is the contamination that will be detected too late, or not at all, and the despicable attempts some will knowingly make to sell contaminated food.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The situation is getting worse every day. I need a PROZAC, PLEASE!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Good news. Time to buy more yen.

Tip of the iceberg...

melguy: It's not surprising Tochigi beef is contaminated. (Some) agricultural products from (parts of) Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Nagano and Shizuoka will be contaminated, the only question is at what level. And the real worry is the contamination that will be detected too late, or not at all, and the despicable attempts some will knowingly make to sell contaminated food.

Don't worry. No immediate consequences on health according to the government.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Time to leave Japan, everyone. Pack up your things, select another place to live, and fly off. Things here will not get better; everyone says they will surely get much, much worse. I suppose it won't be too long before the media begins announcing deaths caused by exposure or contamination. Not to paraphrase Andrea Bocceli, but it's... time to say goodbye - to Japan.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

At some point, they're just going to have to raise the acceptable levels of radiation. Or I don't know, un-ban American beef.

It is sad that they're doing this by prefecture, which is almost arbitrary.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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