Mushrooms Join Growing List of Radioactive Threats to Japan’s Food Chain

[xchrom]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-13/mushrooms-join-growing-list-of-radioactive-threats-to-japan-s-food-chain.html

Mushrooms are the latest addition to threats facing Japan’s food chain from radiation spewed by Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant.

Nameko mushrooms grown in the open air in Soma, a city about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the crippled plant, were found to contain nine times the legal limit of cesium, the local government said yesterday. Japan’s farm ministry asked growers in Fukushima prefecture to refrain from harvesting mushrooms off raw wood left outside, public broadcaster NHK said today.

Japan is under pressure to enhance safety inspection of foods, as it has no centralized system for detecting radiation contamination. Authorities in Fukushima and neighboring prefectures are conducting spot checks on products in cooperation with local farmers.

Half of Japan’s rice crop is grown within the radius of possible contamination from the nuclear plant damaged in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and farmers are awaiting the results of tests before harvesting begins this month. Radiation exceeding safety levels has been found in produce, tea, milk, fish and beef sourced as far as 360 kilometers from the nuclear plant.

[madokie]

1. One can only imagine what the radiation contamination is in the people near there

rec

[xchrom]

2. i don't want to think about that. -- i get all Scarlet O'hara -- Fiddle Dee Dee! nt

[madokie]

3. I can't do that

I had to google to see what you meant as I'm not a movie buff but I can't not worry about the people of Japan, but go ahead. Sometimes I wish I didn't worry but I do so I deal with it.

[fasttense]

4. The Japanese provide the majority of dried mushrooms sold in the US.

Don't buy them. Buy from a local producer and avoid the extra radiation.

But I do think non-edible mushrooms could be used to help clean up. Mushrooms have been known to absorb toxic wastes and pollutants. I'm not sure how they would work with radiation. But it would make for an interesting experiment.

[PearliePoo2]

5. Still...there's already radioactive stuff being shipped.

Egypt Port Authority discovered more containers of radioactive freight from Japan.
From the article:
"Egypt’s General Authority for Export and Import Control recently discovered radioactive cargo in two containers shipped from Japan to Ain Sokhna port, the Red Sea Ports Authority said. This is the third radioactive shipment Egypt has discovered over the past month.

The radioactive material was found aboard ships carrying electric and mechanical instruments.
The authority said it would review communications between Japan and the companies that imported the shipments. It had said in late July it would immediately withdraw the shipping licenses of any companies responsible for importing radioactive cargo.
In June, three other shipments were detected with radiation above permitted levels."

Is freight from Japan being checked at U.S. Ports???? I sure as hell hope so because Japan keeps shipping it!