#Radioactive Beef from Fukushima Update: Already Been Sold in At Least 9 (not 5) Prefectures

Beef from 6 cows from the same cattle farmer in Minami Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture have already been sold at least in 9 (not 5) prefectures, according to Mainichi Shinbun Japanese latest update (1:28AM, 7/12/2011).

Unlike the 11 cows whose meat all tested cesium exceeding the provisional limit of 500 becquerels/kg, the meat from these 6 cows had never been tested and allowed to circulate in the market.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is in charge of testing live cattle, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is in charge of testing meat. They do not talk with each other.

And as usual, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare assures us that "it won't affect health unless you eat it on a continuous basis." The Ministry conveniently forgets that the radiation is everywhere - air, soil, water, sludge, garbage, tea, vegetables, fish, meat. If people can just eat this contaminated beef and not breathe, not eat and drink anything else, it still may not be "safe".

From Mainichi Shinbun latest update:

• The beef has been confirmed sold in: Hokkaido, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Shizuoka, Aichi, Osaka, Tokushima, Kochi.

• Not confirmed: Ehime

福島県南相馬市の畜産農家が出荷した黒毛和牛１１頭から暫定規制値（１キロ当たり５００ベクレル）を超える放射性セシウムが検出された問題で、同じ 農家が出荷した別の６頭の牛肉が５都府県の食肉販売・卸売業者に販売されていたことが東京都の調査で分かった。さらに少なくとも９都道府県に流通し、 １４８キロ以上が小売店などで売られたが、厚生労働省は「継続的に大量摂取しなければ健康に影響はない」としている。

It was discovered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government that the meat from 6 cows sold by the same cattle farmer earlier had been sold to wholesalers and retailers in 5 prefectures. Further, it had been in the market in additional 4 prefectures (total of 9 prefectures). Over 148 kilograms of meat have been sold. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says, "There is no effect on health unless it is consumed continuously in large quantities."

　静岡市保健所は１１日、市内の業者が２７．８キロの肉を仕入れ、残っていた肉から１キロ当たり１９９８ベクレルの放射性セシウムを検出したと発 表。一部は飲食店などで客に出されたという。東京都によると、都内の卸売業者が保管していた肉から、最大で暫定規制値の６．８倍に当たる３４００ベクレル が検出された。

The Shizuoka City Public Health Center announced on July 11 that 1,998 becquerels/kg cesium was found in the meat purchased by a wholesaler in the city, who purchased 27.8 kilogram of this beef. Part of the meat has already been served to customers in restaurants. The Tokyo Municipal government detected 3,400 becquerels/kg cesium from the meat that a wholesaler in Tokyo had kept. That is 6.8 times the provisional safety limit of 500 becquerels/kg.

　大阪府も１１日、２頭分の肉が府内を中心に流通していたと発表。うち数キロ分が贈答用として消費された可能性があるという。横浜市では小売店で ５２キロ分が販売された。愛媛県によると、１７．６キロ分が県内の業者を通じて高知、徳島両県のスーパーに送られ、販売されたという。愛媛県内での流通は 確認されていない。

The Osaka government also announced on July 11 that the meat from 2 cows from the cattle farmer had been sold, mostly within Osaka. Several kilograms of the meat had been given as gifts and probably been consumed already. In Yokohama City in Kanagawa Prefecture, 52 kilogram of this meat was sold in retail stores. According to the Ehime government, a wholesaler in Ehime sold 17.6 kilograms of the meat to supermarkets in Kochi and Tokushima Prefectures, who then sold the meat to consumers. It is not known whether any has been sold within Ehime Prefecture.

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