Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Cesium exceeding new limit detected in 51 food items in nine prefectures
Kyood
Radioactive cesium was detected in 51 food
products from nine prefectures in excess of a new government-set limit
in the first month since it was introduced April 1, according to data
released by the health ministry Tuesday.
The limit was exceeded in 337 cases, or 2.4 percent of 13,867 food samples examined by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
Cesium exceeding the previous allowable limit
of 500 becquerels per kilogram was detected in 55 cases, while the new
limit of 100 becquerels was exceeded in 282 cases.
By prefecture, there were 142 cases in Fukushima,
69 in Tochigi, 41 in Ibaraki, 35 in Iwate, 32 in Miyagi, 13 in Chiba,
two each in Yamagata and Gunma, and one in Kanagawa.
Mushrooms and other agricultural products
containing cesium in excess of the tougher limit were involved in 178
cases, while 156 cases pertained to fishery products such as flat fish
and bass. In addition, two cases involved black bear meat and one case
fried "moroko" fresh water fish.
source : The Japan Times Online
