240 Children in 3 Nursery Schools in Yamagata Prefecture Ate Cesium Beef

This must be the first confirmed case of small children having been fed with the beef contaminated with radioactive cesium.

These small children ate beef from a meat cow in Asakawa-machi in Fukushima Prefecture, and the cow had been fed with the rice hay that contained the maximum 97,000 becuerels/kg of radioactive cesium.

Yamagata Shinbun (7/20/2011) reports:

高濃度の放射性セシウムが検出された稲わらを食べた福島県浅川町産の牛肉が県内で流通していた問題で、酒田市は19日、市内3保育園が4月下旬に問題の牛肉を納入、園児と職員合わせて約290人が給食で食べていたと発表した。

Concerning the beef from the cows from Asakawa-machi in Fukushima Prefecture that were fed with the rice hay that contained the high level of radioactive cesium, Sakata City (in Yamagata Prefecture) announced on July 19 that 3 nursery schools in the city purchased the beef in late April, and total 290 children and teachers ate the meat in school lunches.

　酒田市によると、問題の牛肉を消費したのは▽市立八幡（4月28日納入）▽市立市条（同）▽私立亀ケ崎（4月26日納入）－の3保育園。いずれも同市内の食材業者が納入し、各園が当日のうちにハッシュドビーフに調理、給食として提供した。園児約240人と職員50人が、1人当たり20～40グラムを食べた。

According to Sakata City, the three nursery schools purchased the meat from the same food grocer in the city. The meat was cooked into "hashed beef" dish and served as lunch. 240 children and 50 teachers and administrators ate 20 to 40 grams per person.

　食材業者から各保育園に対する連絡で判明。酒田市が牛肉の履歴を調査したところ、福島県浅川町産で横浜市中央卸売市場食肉市場から出荷された牛肉が3保育園に納入されたことを確認した。

The food grocer alerted the nursery schools [after the news of contaminated rice hay in Asakawa-machi broke]. Sakata City traced the history of the meat, and confirmed that the meat that was delivered to the three nursery schools came from the Yokohama City Central Wholesale Meat Market, and the cow had come from Asakawa-machi in Fukushima Prefecture.

　同市は19日、3保育園の保護者に内容を通知する一方、安全が確認されるまで給食で牛肉の使用を控えることを決めた。

The city notified the parents of children at these nursery schools on July 19, and decided not to use beef in school lunches until the safety is assured.

　県食品安全衛生課は「保育園で提供された牛肉は在庫がなく放射性物質検査は行えない」とする一方、「浅川町産の牛肉については高濃度に汚染された可能性は低いとみられる。国の暫定基準値（1キログラム当たり500ベクレル）の2倍の放射性セシウムを含んだ肉を40グラム食べたとしても、人体への影響に換算すると0.76マイクロシーベルトと低いレベルなので過度に心配する必要はない」と説明している。

The food safety division of the Yamagata prefectural government says "There is no way to test for radioactive materials in the beef that was served in the nursery schools, because there is no inventory left." But it also says, "It is not very likely that the meat from Asakawa-machi was highly contaminated. Even if you eat 40 grams of beef that contains radioactive cesium twice the national safety limit (of 500 becquerels/kg), it would be only 0.76 microsievert in human body. There is no need to worry excessively."

I hope parents in Yamagata remember their words. The meat can't even be tested and the Yamagata prefectural government tells these kids and parents there's no need to worry because there can't be much cesium in that meat.

By the way, the national government formally ban the shipment of cows out of Fukushima. That means the cattle farmers are now entitled to government (aka taxpayers-funded) compensation for lost business.

What would consumers who already ate the meat get? Some supermarkets say they will refund the purchase money.

Ah. Health and life are both cheap in Japan.

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