JAPAN: Government lifts part of its ban on beef shipment from Miyagi Prefecture as it approves the local government's plans to secure safety from radiation contamination

Record ID: 464952

  • Title: JAPAN: Government lifts part of its ban on beef shipment from Miyagi Prefecture as it approves the local government's plans to secure safety from radiation contamination
  • Date: 20th August 2011
  • Summary: KAWASAKI, JAPAN (FILE - JULY 2011) (REUTERS) LABORATORY ASSISTANT CHECKING RADIATION LEVELS ON PACKAGES OF BEEF MORE OF RADIATION CHECKS CUSTOMER GRILLING BEEF AT BARBECUE RESTAURANT VARIOUS OF BEEF BEING GRILLED
  • Embargoed: 4th September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Disasters,Health,Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVA9B5POEUTA2I73Y6NWZXOIWR9W
  • Story Text: Japan's government lifted part of its ban on beef shipments from Miyagi Prefecture on Friday (August 19) as it approved local governmental plans to prevent radioactive contamination.
    "The government has lifted part of its ban on the shipments of beef from Miyagi Prefecture," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told regular news conference on Friday.
    "This decision was made as the prefectural government is ready to resume the shipment by implementing pertinent safety measures such as through radiation screenings on cattle," Edano said.
    He said, however, the ban on cattle shipments from Fukushima Prefecture will be maintained for some time as beef contaminated with an excessive level of radioactive cesium was reported to have been found.
    Japan last month halted shipments of beef cattle from both prefectures after findings that livestock had eaten straw contaminated with radioactive cesium that leaked from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
    The government widened the ban to Iwate and Tochigi Prefecture earlier this month after levels of radiation exceeding the legal safety standards were found on locally produced beef.
    There also have been reports of excessive levels of radiation found in vegetables, tea, milk, seafood, and water from in various prefectures after the disasters at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
    With the ban lifted, farms will be able to restart beef shipments once they prove that radioactive cesium contained in the beef from their cattle measures below the government-set limit of 500 becquerels per kilogram, Japan's Kyodo news reported.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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