#Radioactive Japan: Meat Dealer in Kansai Falsifies #Fukushima and Miyagi Beef as Kagoshima Beef; Already Sold and Consumed

There's always the first. Or I should say the first to get caught.

But before finally busted, the meat dealer already sold 1,424 kilograms of beef from Tohoku and northern Kanto, including 750 kilograms of beef from Fukushima.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (4/13/2012):

福島と表示、販売しづらい…鹿児島産牛肉と偽装

A dealer falsified Fukushima beef as "made in Kagoshima", as it is difficult to sell if labeled "made in Fukushima"

福島県産牛肉などの産地表示を偽装して販売したなどとして、農林水産省近畿農政局は１３日、食肉販売業「ＡＭＭＳ」（兵庫県伊丹市）に対し、ＪＡＳ法に基づく表示の改善指示を行った。

The Kinki Regional Agricultural Administration Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries directed the meat dealer "AMMS" (Itami City in Hyogo Prefecture) to improve labeling based on the JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standard) on April 13.

　同省によると、同社側は調査に対し「福島などと表示して販売しづらかった」と話しているという。福島第一原発事故後、福島県産牛肉で産地偽装が明らかになるのは初めて。

According to the Ministry, the dealer says [they falsified the origin because] it was difficult to sell with labels saying "made in Fukushima" and other prefectures. This is the first time since the start of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident that the beef from Fukushima was deliberately mislabeled.

　発表では、同社の福田屋此花店（大阪市）は昨年９月～今年２月、福島県産約７５０キロを含む東北、関東産の牛肉など少なくとも１４２４キロについて、鹿児島県産などに産地を変えて販売したという。匿名の通報を受けて立ち入り調査を行った結果、明らかになった。

According to the press release, the dealer's store 福田屋此花店 in Osaka City sold at least 1,424 kilograms of beef from Tohoku and Kanto regions as "made in Kagoshima" and other prefectures, including 750 kilograms of beef from Fukushima. The Ministry conducted a site check on an anonymous tip.

　ほぼ全量が消費されていたが、いずれも厚生労働省が昨年、放射性セシウムに汚染された稲わらを食べたとして公表した牛には該当せず、国の規制値を上回る放射性セシウムを含む牛肉も見つかっていないという。

Almost all of the beef had been already consumed, but according to the Ministry it was not on the list by the Ministry of Health of beef from the cattle that ate rice hay contaminated with radioactive cesium last year. None of the beef has been found with radioactive cesium exceeding the national safety standard.

No penalty from the supervising Ministry, though, other than "directing the dealer to display proper labels". The press release from the Kinki Regional Agricultural Administration Office on April 13, 2012 basically tells the dealer:

• Please find out why this happened;

• Please label appropriately from now on;

• Please set up a system so that this won't happen again;

• Please educate your employees appropriately from now on;

• Please send us the report of your finding by May 14, 2012.

Why did this happen? Isn't that obvious? The dealer made a killing by buying up beef from Tohoku and Kanto at a depressed price, labeled it as "made in Kagoshima" and sold it at probably a huge premium.

The Kinki Agricultural Admin Office also says the dealer sold 280 kilograms of beef from Miyagi. No further information on the beef that this dealer sold that was of Kanto origin. Probably northern Kanto - Tochigi, Gunma, Ibaraki.

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