Nuclear woes
December 7, 2011
The Japanese food and candy manufacturer Meiji Co. has recalled 400,000 cans of infant powdered milk after it was found to contain radioactive material. The milk, used as baby formula, was found to contain traces of cesium.
The levels of cesium contamination are far below allowed government levels, and are thus not harmful to infant health, according to a Meiji spokesperson. Kazuhiko Tsurumi, a Health Ministry official in charge of food safety, also said the radiation was no problem, "because the levels are within the government limit."
Meanwhile, the Japanese government has dispatched just under 1,000 troops to help in cleanup efforts around the dilapidated Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in the Fukushima prefecture, which was rocked by a massive earthquake and tsunami at the beginning of March this year.
Japan has since been fighting to contain its ensuing nuclear crisis and a number of food products have been called off the shelves because of contamination.
Japanese media has reported that around 150 liters of water contaminated with strontium and other nuclear substances have recently leaked into the ocean near the Daiichi plant.
Author: Sarah Berning (dpa, AP)
Editor: Gregg Benzow