Japan’s latest worries in the post-quake period concern the safety of drinking water and possible food contamination, with authorities in Tokyo recommending Wednesday 23 March that parents not give their children tap water to drink. Measurements taken showed the level to be above that considered safe for infants and children.
Scientists have taken up the debate over food and drink safety, comparing measured levels and health regulations on radiation. Science Now points to several factors that have an impact on the extent of the danger, such as the quantity ingested and the period of time during which a food product is consumed. Spinach has particularly high levels, it says, because the broad leaves pick up more radiation.
The Japanese government’s recommendations are a wise move, say several scientists, but there is little reason to panic. The Guardian quotes environmental physicist Jim Smith as saying that “Following the finding of up to 210 becquerels of radioactive iodine in tap water in Tokyo, the recommendation that infants are not given tap water is a sensible precaution. But it should be emphasised that the limit is set at a low level to ensure that consumption at that level is safe over a fairly long period of time.”
Update 6 January 09:40 Vevey, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Swiss food multinational Nestlé’s Zimbabwe operations have begun to process milk again, two weeks after suspending production because of government pressure. Government-run newspaper The Herald says workers were back in place and milk was being processed normally after a “misunderstanding” that closed the plant 23 December. The Nestlé operation is one of Zimbabwe’s largest suppliers of milk and has been running for more than 50 years.
Nestlé’s Swiss head office provided GenevaLunch with the following statement Tuesday 6 January, confirming that processing has begun again: “On 19 December 2009, Nestlé suspended the activities at its Harare factory (Zimbabwe) as normal business was no longer possible and the safety of its employees could not be guaranteed. Since then, the local Nestlé management has been in regular contact with the Zimbabwean authorities to find a solution.
Vevey, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Food multinational Nestlé says it has closed its milk production plant in Zimbabwe after the government pressured it to take milk from a non-contracted supplier 19 December during a surprise visit from government officials. Two days later, Monday, two of the plant’s managers were called into the Harare police station for questioning, then released. President Robert Mugabe and his unity government partner Morgan Tsvangirai have both reacted with dismay to the closing, and observers in southern Africa are calling it a setback for the unity government, which has been working to convince foreign investors and aid groups to return to the country.
Vevey, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Nestlé SA in Vevey says its subsidiary in Zimbabwe will stop buying milk Sunday 4 October from Gushunga Dairy, reportedly owned by Grace Mugabe, wife of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe. The Mugabes are both on Swiss and European sanctions lists which forbid financial transactions with over 200 individuals and some 40 companies in Zimbabwe, but the sanctions do not apply to transactions within Zimbabwe. The multinational in Vevey has been under pressure this week, particularly from British and South African media, for buying the milk.
The Vevey office issued a statement Friday morning 2 October: “The Dairy Board of Zimbabwe today informed the Gushungo Dairy Estate, and the seven other farms with whom Nestlé began working on a temporary basis in February 2009, that it is now in a position to resume purchasing their milk. Nestlé Zimbabwe therefore will no longer be receiving milk from these eight farms from Sunday 4 October.”
GenevaLunch asked Nestlé about the timing of the announcement from the board, coming right on the heels of public criticism of Nestlé.
Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The cost of milk is dropping as of today, from 5 to 15 centimes a litre, at both Coop and Migros, the two main Swiss supermarket chains say. The price of butter, however, remains unchanged.
China has begun a four-month drive to tighten food safety security, starting with more internal manufacturers’ checks following by increased government inspections and punishments for companies failing to meet standards. The programme follows the August 2008 food scandal, where six babies died and thousands became sick after high levels of melamine were found in dairy products. The new safety programme is similar to one just before the Beijing Olympics in July 2008, reports Al Jazeera, which notes that China is banning 12 US products found to have been contaminated with banned dyes or excessive preservatives and additives. The US maintains its ban on several Chinese food products.
