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Contractor refuses to provide school lunches when faced with radiation checks

20 Comments

As part of its ongoing efforts to bring peace of mind to city residents following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Tokyo’s Komae City will meticulously measure airborne radiation levels along all roadways within city limits and provide citizens with easy-to-understand information regarding the readings.

Additionally, having only inspected radiation levels of school lunch ingredients once before, the city announced on Feb 21 that it would reintroduce such checks on the foodstuffs comprising the noontime meals.

Less than a week after the announcement of the checks, Kenji Matsuyama, president of Mitaka Food Services Center, told the city his firm would not renew its contract to provide the city’s junior high schools with lunches.

The city’s elementary schools prepare their own lunches; however, lunches served at junior highs are outsourced to a private contractor, in this case, Mitaka Food Services Center. Because Mitaka is refusing to renew its contract with the city’s Board of Education, it means no school lunches will be served at the city’s four junior high schools from April of this year, affecting approximately 1,050 students and teachers who had been eating the lunches provided by the company.

“The notice of nonrenewal was too sudden. At least six months’ notice is desired.” The School Lunch Act stipulates that meals must be delivered within two hours of being cooked. According to the city’s education board there is not enough time to find a suitable replacement. The Education Ministry said having a school unable to serve lunch was an exceptionally rare occurrence.

Comments left by readers were overwhelmingly mistrustful of the company’s motives for abandoning the contract.

“They’d be in trouble if something was detected. No doubt they’re using contaminated ingredients.”

“One can only imagine that they are using some dangerous stuff.”

“I bet what they were using could be purchased cheaply.”

“Refusing radiation checks…What about lunches at other schools!?”

“It’s probably best to bring your own lunch from home.”

Source: Hamster Sokuho

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- More Than Half of Cleanup Staff at Fukushima Plant on Counterfeit Contracts -- Blogger’s Troubling Insight into Psyche of Post-Disaster Fukushima Residents -- Japanese Netizens are Disgusted by American School Lunches

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20 Comments
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No, no cover up here at all!

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Wonder what triggered that quick change.

The best part of it all (perhaps the article fails to mention this, i don't know) is that there seem to be no repercussions whatsover for this Mitaka comapany. That is what's moust outrageous.

One can help but become a complete cynic in Japan, where companies and organizations get away with seemingly too much without being held responsible or even having someone ask a few questions. Where I am from, bad stuff happens, sure, but it is often found out, and at least attempted by some stand-up people to be corrected. Here, it's a bow, a gomen nasai and all is good, forever, in eternity.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

These aren't the contaminated school meals you're looking for... move along.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Anybody can see that they were selling contaminated food to the kids. As parents, they should look into this and somebody should do something about it. Everybody wants to get rich at the cost of other people's lives and health. Nobody is doing anything.... It's a shame what this world has come to.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Essentially they've been serving contaminated radioactive food to all those kids and teachers. This is a crime. What is worse is that they're not investigated or doing anything about it.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Sue the company for not giving enough notice, and then never hire them again. Continue testing produce in the area, and if any coverup is detected, give prison time to the company execs and others in charge. It's disgusting there aren't people in jail over this already, as it seems pretty clear they are serving contaminated foodstuffs to save money.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Less than a week after the announcement of the checks, Kenji Matsuyama, president of Mitaka Food Services Center, told the city his firm would not renew its contract to provide the city’s junior high schools with lunches

Ok, now we know that this company wasnt playing fair. Better later than never. I hope it ends up closing it's doors because everyone should be boycotting them.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

While I find the companies reasoning, if it is in fact due to testing of their lunches, scary to say the least. (What have they been using up until now and how have the children been affected) I do however find no fault in their timing. THey are only required to fulfill the current contract, nothing more nothing less.

I disagree with this part if there is nothing in the contract regarding giving notice. Also this is not about stopping their current contract, it's about a new contract, so the notice part should not even be an issue.

Sue the company for not giving enough notice, and then never hire them again.

Why? Japanese businesses are nortorious for not letting people know their contracts will or not be renewed until the last minute as well.

It's the city offices mistake to assume that a business will automatically recontract without them checking or going over the details of any new contract.

Nice to see a Japanese business sticking it to a city office once. (Now they know how it feels to have someone do it to them!)

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Yubaru: "Why? Japanese businesses are nortorious for not letting people know their contracts will or not be renewed until the last minute as well."

You make it sound like it's a good thing. If it was not in the contract before, the city heretofore needs to PUT it in any new contract, definitely with another company. As to this company 'sticking it to the city office', I hope the city office comes back with an intense investigation of what the company has been serving. If farmers willingly sold their produce to the company I hope they are prosecuted as well.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

You make it sound like it's a good thing. If it was not in the contract before, the city heretofore needs to PUT it in any new contract, definitely with another company.

No I am not, you are attempting to put words into my mouth that I did not say. I don't think it's necessarily a good thing but the city office is at fault for assuming a contractor is automatically going to recontract with them. It's their mistake, and a big one at that.

As to this company 'sticking it to the city office', I hope the city office comes back with an intense investigation of what the company has been serving. If farmers willingly sold their produce to the company I hope they are prosecuted as well.

Investigate all you want but there will be no evidence to prosecute as the food has already been consumed. Plus if a farmer did knowingly sell them the produce what laws are you going to charge them with after the fact with no proof or evidence that their produce or product was radiated in the first place?

From a contracting point of view alone yeah give the city office, and all city offices here in Japan for that matter, a taste of their own medicine and have them wake up and realize who they work for in the first place.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Of course there's a cover up. They've probably been serving food from effected areas since prices dropped and although it maybe safe no one was given a choice. Japan, the country that would rather destroy its future generations than admit a fault.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

“One can only imagine that they are using some dangerous stuff.”

Yes, imagination in such cases runs wild but how about the correlation of the additional cost of checking every single ingredient and the price of the lunches? For parents’ peace of mind, checking the all food is the best thing to do but does the company really have a margin which can accommodate the additional costs if the price of each lunch stays the same?

We do not know any details so jumping to conclusions is the easiest though not the best thing to do.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Good riddance to them. I'd rather prepare my own kid's lunches than have this dubious company provide for him. In fact, I'd like to see ALL schools introduce such testing. That really would sort out the straight players from the crooked ones.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That really would sort out the straight players from the crooked ones.

No it reality it wouldn't, it just forces the crooked one's to find other means or places to get their products pushed through.

A bigger part of the problem is the PERCEPTION that Japanese people have (UNJUSTIFIED) that their food supply is safe and these minor blips are nothing to be truly concerned about because the government deals harshly with those caught.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"It's probably best to bring your own lunch from home."

The last commenter has the right idea.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

lol...you're gonna test my food for contamination?....um ok yeah, i don't think i want that so no deal

better to bow out early than get tested and fail

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Pls tell me the proper authorities are going to this stupid company & do some onsite testing like TOMORROW at the latest WTF!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Mitaka Food Services Center is a vary small company with just 12 employees. I think they could not afford to buy radiation measurement equipment.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Mitaka Food Services Center is a vary small company with just 12 employees. I think they could not afford to buy radiation measurement equipment.

Then, as the man said, no soup for you! Whatever the reason they might come up with, this sounds fishy. It might have been good to hear the company's side of the story too, though.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

I really hope my kids here in Tokyo are not eating any of this contaminated stuff, if they are, I will be kicking some greedy asses real soon!!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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