Sanitation (Food, Water, etc.)
News (last updated April 8, 2011)
On April 8, Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano announced that the following food will be lifted from "distribution restricted".
- Gunma-ken
- "spinach & kaki-na"
- Some parts of Fukushima-ken*
- "raw milk"
- Namely, Kitakata-shi （喜多方市）, Bandai-machi （磐梯町）, Inawashiro-machi （猪苗代町）, Mishima-machi （三島町）, Aizumisato-machi （会津美里町）, Shimogo-machi （下郷町）, Minamiaizu-machi （南会津町）
The government will lift restrictions if the food passes the weekly test 3 times in a row. The food mentioned above had dose rates lower than the limits for 3 weeks, therefore, they are no longer "distribution restricted".
Food (& drinks)
Information of Vegetables Reported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)
March 23 around noon, leafy vegetables and flowerhead brassicas made in the Tohoku area were restricted in addition to the food that has already been restricted.
Definition of terms "distribution restricted" and "consumption restricted" [This is my understanding, corrections are very welcome]:
- Distribution restricted 「出荷制限」 (shukka seigen)
- means organizations are ordered not to ship or sell (distribute) the food restricted to consumers. You shouldn't be able to buy foods restricted to distribute, but if you happen to have it, it is better to throw it away.
- Consumption restricted 「摂取制限」 (sesshu seigen)
- means all citizens (including consumers) are ordered not to eat (consume) the food restricted. So, farmers in the target areas who still have the food should not eat it but dispose it. Therefore, "consumption restricted" is a stronger recommendation than "distribution restricted". If you happen to have foods restricted to consume, you are advised to throw it away.
- Since "consumption restricted" has more importance to consumers, I will write information for "consumption restricted" first.
"Consumption restricted"（摂取制限） since March 23
- These food made in Fukushima（福島県）
- Non-head leaf vegetables: "spinach, komatsu-na, kukitachi-na, shinobu fuyu-na, santoo-na (beka-na), abura-na, kootsaitai"
- Head leaf vegetables: "cabbages"
- Brassicaceae (Cruciferae, アブラナ科): "broccoli, cauliflowers"
"Distribution restricted"（出荷制限） since March 23
- These food made in Fukushima（福島県）:
- "spinach, komatsu-na, kukitachi-na, shinobu fuyu-na, santoo-na (beka-na), abura-na, kootsaitai; cabbages; broccoli, cauliflowers" [all "consumption restricted" anyway] and
- "raw milk* (see below), turnips, kaki-na, chijire-na"
- These food made in Ibaraki（茨城県）:
- "spinach, kaki-na; raw milk, parsley"
- These food made in Tochigi（栃木県）:
- Raw milk made in Kitakata-shi （喜多方市）, Bandai-machi （磐梯町）, Inawashiro-machi （猪苗代町）, Mishima-machi （三島町）, Aizumisato-machi （会津美里町）, Shimogo-machi （下郷町）, Minamiaizu-machi （南会津町） are no longer "distribution restricted" as of April 8.
- Food made in Gunma（群馬県） are no longer "distribution restricted" as of April 8.
All of these food (both "consumption restricted" and "distribution restricted") will not have immediate effect on human health, but the order was made for the situation of the nuclear power plants are predicted to continue for a while. Eating these food will not put you in danger, but continuing to eat these food is to be avoided. You are safe to eat the same food made in other areas.
Sources:
Information is available on the MHLW website but more vegetables were mentioned in the announcement Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano made March 23. I used the Togetter (excerpts of Twitter) page below for I cannot write down all the information I saw on NHK.
Reports of dose rates detected
Reports sent to the MHLF by prefectures on March 31
- Chiba:
- Tested fish were under the limit. Spinach labeled "JA Katori （かとり）" (from Katori-shi（香取市）) exceeded limits, spinach samples from other areas passed the test. Chiba-ken will immediately order JA Katori spinach not to be distributed.
- Ibaraki:
- All tested spinach except ones from Tsukuba-shi exceeded the limits One sample of parsley exceeded limits. All tested raw milk were under the limit.
- Kanagawa:
- Tested raw milk was under the limit.
- Tochigi:
- Except for spinach, all tested vegetables were under the limit. All vegetables exceeding the limit (spinach, kaki-na, shungiku) are ordered not to be distributed.
- Niigata:
- Tested vegetables were under the limit.
- Kyoto:
- Tested leaf vegetables were under the limit. From now on, Kyoto will report only when limits are exceeded.
- Tokyo:
- Tested komatsu-na were under the limit.
- Fukushima:
- An emergency monitor has been performed. All samples of raw milk passed the test. Beef from 天栄村 exceeded limits and is kept from being distributed.
Preliminary report by MHLF as of 21:00, March 28
- Fukushima:
- Raw milk - 18 reports exceeding the limit
- Vegetable - 27 reports exceeding the limit (broccoli, spinach, komatsu-na, kukitachi-na, abura-na, cabbage, shinobu fuyu-na, santoo-na, turnip, chijire-na, koosaitai, hana wasabi)
- Ibaraki:
- Raw milk - 5 reports exceeding the limit
- Vegetable - 27 reports exceeding the limit (spinach, parsley, mizu-na, red-tip leaf lettuce)
- Tochigi: Vegetable - 10 reports exceeding the limit (spinach, shungiku)
- Gunma: Vegetable - 3 reports exceeding the limit (spinach, kaki-na)
- Chiba: Vegetable - 8 reports exceeding the limit (shungiku, chingen-sai, celery, sanchu, parsley, spinach)*
- Tokyo: Vegetable - 1 report exceeding the limit (komatsu-na)
- Saitama: Reported levels are below the limit
- Kanagawa: Reported levels are below the limit
- Yamagata: Reported levels are below the limit
- Miyagi: Reported levels are below the limit
- Niigata: Reported levels are below the limit
- Nagano: Reported levels are below the limit
- Aichi: Reported levels are below the limit
Glossary:
| English |
romaji |
roomaji |
kanji |
alternative |
description |
| raw milk |
gennyu |
gennyuu |
原乳 |
生乳 |
this is what is used in many dairy products |
Non-head leaf vegetables （非結球葉菜類）
| English |
romaji |
roomaji |
kanji |
katakana |
hiragana |
alternative |
scientific name |
| spinach |
horenso |
hoorensoo |
ほうれん草 |
ホウレンソウ |
ほうれんそう |
|
|
|
komatsuna |
komatsu-na |
小松菜 |
コマツナ |
こまつな |
|
Brassica rapa var. perviridis |
|
kakina |
kaki-na |
かき菜 |
カキナ |
かきな |
|
|
|
mizuna |
mizu-na |
水菜 |
ミズナ |
|
|
Brassica rapa var. nipposinica |
|
chingensai |
chingen-sai |
青梗菜 |
チンゲンサイ |
ちんげんさい |
|
Brassica rapa var. chinensis |
| red-tip leaf lettuce |
sani retasu |
sanii retasu |
|
サニーレタス |
|
looseleaf |
Lactuca sativa var. crispa |
|
shungiku |
shungiku |
春菊 |
シュンギク |
しゅんぎく |
|
|
|
aburana |
abura-na |
油菜 |
アブラナ |
あぶらな |
菜の花、菜種 |
Brassica rapa var. nippo-oleifera |
|
kukitachina |
kukitachi-na |
茎立菜 |
クキタチナ |
くきたちな |
|
|
|
shinobu fuyuna |
shinobu fuyu-na |
信夫冬菜 |
シノブフユナ |
しのぶふゆな |
|
|
|
santona |
santoo-na |
山東菜 |
サントウナ |
さんとうな |
ベカ菜 |
|
|
kosaitai |
koosaitai |
紅菜苔 |
コウサイタイ |
こうさいたい |
|
|
|
chijirena |
chijire-na |
ちじれ菜 |
チジレナ |
ちじれな |
|
|
|
hana wasabi |
hana wasabi |
花わさび |
ハナワサビ |
はなわさび |
|
|
| crisphead |
sanchu |
sanchu |
|
サンチュ |
|
iceberg, 包菜(つつみな)、グリーンリーフ |
|
| parsley |
paseri |
paseri |
|
パセリ |
|
|
|
Head leaf vegetables （結球葉菜類）
| English |
romaji |
roomaji |
kanji |
katakana |
hiragana |
alternative |
scientific name |
| cabbage |
kyabetsu |
kyabetsu |
|
キャベツ |
|
|
|
Wild cabbage （Brassica oleracea, 花蕾類または花菜類）
| English |
romaji |
roomaji |
kanji |
katakana |
hiragana |
alternative |
scientific name |
| broccoli |
burokkori |
burokkorii |
|
ブロッコリー |
|
|
|
| cauliflower |
karifurawa |
karifurawaa |
|
カリフラワー |
|
|
|
Root vegetable （根菜類）
| English |
romaji |
roomaji |
kanji |
katakana |
hiragana |
alternative |
scientific name |
| turnip |
kabu |
kabu |
|
カブ |
かぶ |
|
B. rapa var. glabra, Brassica rapa var. rapa |
Stalk vegetable （茎菜類）
| English |
romaji |
roomaji |
kanji |
katakana |
hiragana |
alternative |
scientific name |
| celery |
serori |
serori |
|
セロリ |
|
|
|
Water (Tap water, etc.)
Information of WATER Reported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)
Data measured from 5 places in Fukushima-ken from March 20-21 reported tap water with dose rates exceeding safety indices in 3 locations (units in Becquerels per kilogram).
- Kawamata-cho Water Service （川俣町水道事業）: 174 Bq/kg (March 21)
- Minamisooma-shi Water Service（南相馬市水道事業）: 137 Bq/kg (March 21)
- Iwaki-shi Water Service（いわき市水道事業）: 103 Bq/kg (March 21)
March 22, Tokyo Water Service measured 3 places in Tokyo and 1 data exceeded safety indices.
- Kanamachi Water Cleansing （金町浄水場）: 210 Bq/kg (March 22)
These levels exceed the "Safety Index for Babies (Radioactive Iodine)"*1, but not the "Safety Index for Limiting Water and Food Consumption"*2.
Current status of tap water usage:
- Tokyo
- citizens of all 23 wards （23区） of Tokyo, Musashino-shi（武蔵野市）, Machida-shi（町田市）, Tama-shi（多摩市）, Inagi-shi（稲城市）, Mitaka-shi（三鷹市）; DO NOT have BABIES DRINK tap water.
- Fukushima
- citizens of Iitate-shi （飯舘市）; continue to NOT DRINK tap water (recommendation from March 22).
- citizens of Date-shi（伊達市）, Kooriyama-shi（郡山市）, Tamura-shi（田村市）, Minamisooma-shi（南相馬市）, Kawamata-choo（川俣町）; continue to NOT have BABIES DRINK tap water (recommendation from March 22).
- Chiba [from NHK]
- citizens in 11 areas of Chiba is recommended NOT to let BABIES drink tap water. Unlike Tokyo & Fukushima, this recommendation has been made by Chiba's own decision.
However, the possibility of harm on human health is very low with temporarily drinking tap water exceeding the safety index [since it is still lower than the "Safety Index for Limiting Water and Food Consumption"]. This includes babies drinking tap water as well. Usage of tap water in daily life such as washing your hands, bathing can be continued.
- 1* Preliminary Safety Index for Babies (for Radioactive Iodine) -- based on the Food Sanitation Act
- radioactive iodine (in drinking water): 100 Bq/kg
- 2* Safety Index for Limiting Water and Food Consumption （飲食物摂取制限に関する指標） (set by the Nuclear Safety Commission based on recommendations by the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP)
- radioactive iodine (in drinking water): 300 Bq/kg
- radioactive cesium (in drinking water): 200 Bq/kg
If the dose rate in tap water exceeds the "Safety Index for Limiting Water and Food Consumption"
- do not drink tap water
- tap water can be used for other use with no problems
- if there is no alternative of drinking water, tap water can be used for it
Breaking news on NHK: Tokyo will provide 240,000 PET bottles of mineral water to families with babies in all 23 wards and 5 cities of Tama-ku （多摩区） [all listed above]. 3 bottles of mineral water will be distributed for each person [baby] and there are 80,000 families needing mineral water. Therefore, 240,000 bottles will be prepared.
Note: The NHK Press Twitter provide this link below. The article says to *not* feed skimmed milk with mineral water to babies. Japan's tap water is soft water*3, except parts of Okinawa (most tap water in Europe & North America are hard water*3). Hard water may cause problems to babies since they have to excrete all the extra minerals in the water when their bodies are not developed. Even some mineral water labeled "For Babies" are hard water, so, if you need to feed skimmed milk for babies using mineral water, check the hardness of the water on the label. Choose water with low mineral, close to "natural" water.
I personally ask people who do not need to feed babies to not buy mineral water unless absolutely needed, e.g. medical reasons.
3* Hardness （硬度(こうど, koodo)） of water is determined by the amount of mineral contained in the water. "100 mg/L" is commonly used as the barometer. Water with hardness more than 100 mg/L is "hard water（硬水(こうすい, koosui)）", e.g. Evian, Vittel. Water with hardness less than 100 mg/L is "soft water（軟水(なんすい, nansui)）", e.g. Volvic and many Japanese mineral waters. Using these Japanese words, you can always ask the shopkeeper whether a bottled mineral water is "hard water" or "soft water". You can refer to Wikipedia for more detailed descriptions.
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最終更新：2011年04月08日 20:28
