information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
13 Février 2012
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120213p2a00m0na010000c.html
NAHA -- High levels of radioactive cesium have been detected in noodles produced in Okinawa, apparently because they were made with water filtered by ashes from Fukushima-produced wood.
The noodles, called "Okinawa soba," had a level of radioactivity of 258 becquerels of cesium per kilogram. The restaurant that produced them had kneaded them with water filtered by the ashes of Fukushima Prefecture-produced wood.
The Forestry Agency on Feb. 10 notified prefectures across Japan not to use ashes made from wood or charcoal in cooking if the materials were lumbered or produced in Fukushima Prefecture, Tokyo and 15 other prefectures following the outbreak of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March last year, even if the wood or charcoal bore levels of cesium lower than the government-set standard -- 40 becquerels per kilogram for cooking wood and 280 becquerels per kilogram for charcoal.
According to the agency, the cesium contamination of Okinawan noodles surfaced on Feb. 7 in testing conducted by the Okinawa Prefectural Government. An ensuing survey found 468 becquerels of cesium in cooking wood that was distributed through the same route as the one for wood delivered to the restaurant.
The central government set a standard on Nov. 2 last year stating that the radioactivity of cesium concentrated by burning wood or charcoal should not exceed 8,000 becquerels per kilogram -- a level allowed for landfill at disposal sites. However, methods for examining the concentration were not established until Nov. 18, while the cooking wood in question was shipped on Nov. 7.
"We had not assumed that ashes would be used in food processing (when we drew up the standard)," said a Forestry Agency official.
Ashes are used in kneading noodles and sometimes in removing the bitter taste, or "aku" from devil's tongue and wild vegetables.
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