Monday, December 5, 2011

Radioactive Baby Formula: 30.8 Becquerels/Kg of Cesium from Powdered Milk by Meiji

The manufacturer will replace 400,000 cans of its baby formula free of charge.

The brand that radioactive cesium has been found is "Meiji Step", a formula designed for infants 9 months and older.

As the article by Sponichi below states, Meiji is the largest manufacturer of baby formulas with 40% market share. Meiji did its own testing and disclosed the number. Will other makers follow suit?

From Sponichi Annex (12/6/2011):

食品大手の明治(東京)が製造、販売する粉ミルク「明治ステップ」から、最大で1キログラム当たり30・8ベクレルの放射性セシウムが検出されたことが6日、同社の調査で分かった。詳しい混入経緯は不明だが、同社は東京電力福島第1原発事故に伴うものとみている。

"Meiji Step", a baby formula manufactured and sold by Meiji (headquartered in Tokyo), one of the largest food manufacturers in Japan, has been found with the maximum 30.8 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium by the company's testing. It is not known how radioactive cesium was mixed in, but the company thinks it is due to the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident.

 厚生労働省によると、原発事故後に粉ミルクからセシウムが検出されたのは初めて。明治は約40万缶を対象に、無償交換する方針。

According to the Ministry of Health and Labor, it is the first time that radioactive cesium is found in the baby formula, after the nuclear plant accident. Meiji will replace about 400,000 cans free of charge.

 国が定める粉ミルクの暫定基準値(1キログラム当たり200ベクレル)は下回っている。乳児は大人より放射性物質の影響を受けやすいとの指摘があり、厚労省は近く新たに「乳児用食品」の基準値を設定する方針を決めている。

The level of radioactive cesium is below the provisional safety limit by the national government for baby formula (200 becquerels/kg). It has been pointed out that infants are more susceptible to the effect of radioactive materials than adults, and the Ministry of Health and Labor is to set the new standard for "baby foods".

 明治によると、セシウムが検出されたのは賞味期限が2012年10月4日、同21日、同22日、同24日の製品。日付は缶の底に記されている。

According to Meiji, the effective dates of the baby formula that has been found with radioactive cesium are: October 4, October 21, October 22, and October 24, 2012. The effective date is on the bottom of the can.

 明治は国内の粉ミルク販売シェア約4割の最大手。

Meiji is the largest manufacturer of baby formulas in Japan, with about 40% market share.

Additional information from Nikkei Shinbun (12/6/2011):

同社によると、無償交換する40万缶は、埼玉県春日部市の工場で3月14~20日に牛乳を乾燥させる工程を経た製品。原料の牛乳には、3月11日以前に加工された北海道産などを使用していた。同社は、大量の空気を当てる過程で、東京電力福島第1原子力発電所事故で放出された大気中の放射性セシウムが混ざったとみている。

According to Meiji, 400,000 cans of the formula were processed in Meiji's factory in Kasukabe City in Saitama Prefecture, whereby the milk was dried between March 14 to 20. The raw milk came from Hokkaido, which was processed before March 11. The company thinks that during the process to air the milk to dry, airborne radioactive cesium released from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident was mixed in.

So, Meiji was manufacturing powdered milk in the worst possible period. March 14 was when Reactor 3 blew up. Reactor 4 blew up (or made a loud noise and smoke was observed, according to TEPCO) the next day, and something really bad happened in the Suppression Chamber of Reactor 2, though no one says what it was. And still unexplained events happened on March 20 that spiked the radiation levels all over Tohoku and Kanto. And the company was airing the raw milk, without knowing the radioactive plume was hitting wide areas in eastern Japan.

The government knew. Many nuclear experts and researchers knew. No one bothered to tell the public. Some were threatened with termination or end of their careers. Some say they feared for widespread panic. Yet others were just collecting data so that they would be able to publish in a prestigious magazine several months later.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just hope ICREO milk powder is OK, I heard they test it but who knows who to believe in this insane country japan.

Anonymous said...

Damn, everybody uses it! Shit I even gave it to my kids prior Fukushima!
wouldn't be surprised if this brand is endorsed by public and private Yochien too.
Japan is not insane, the Gov and its nuclear lobby is! Rectification they are not insane they are CRIMINALS, insane will give them the benefit of the doubt, enough to get away in a court of law.

Mauibrad said...

WTF!? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jCGSBIGo0o

Anonymous said...

It's rather bizarre that people keep insisting there's no radiation problem when even the mainstream media repeatedly reports discoveries of contamination.

From memory, they've had contaminated water, beef, hay, tea, rice, cars, milk... and it's been what, 9 months since the disaster? Doesn't sound particularly safe or resolved to me.

People always tell me "I can't even remember what happened yesterday". I guess they weren't exaggerating.

pat said...

as long as the babies think good thoughts they will be fine

Anonymous said...

This is the only English language source I have found that provides information about contaminated foods in Japan. I urge everyone reading this blog to make sure to DONATE to this website so the blogger can continue to provide us with information we can't get anywhere else. The DONATE button is near the top right side of the page - just under the banner. Let's say THANK YOU to this blogger!

Anonymous said...

Lament for the babies in Japan, and throughout the rest of the whole wide world, for they did not have a say in what they will be suffering through in a little while, because of the arrogance and hubris of man.

Yosaku said...

Anonymous@1:03pm,

I second your call to support ex-skf; he's really doing an incredible job.

For food information, I'd also recommend visiting the MHLW's site at http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/2011eq/index.html, which I check everyday. Near the bottom of the page they publish their daily food testing results. Over 1400 today. (As always, steer clear of mushrooms.)

Anonymous said...

This is again a Jap Govt home page.. doubt its reliability.

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