Radiation-Tainted Beef Spreads Through Japan’s Markets

In Japan there is a large radiation scare going on. The radiation is being found in the beef. Cattle are being raised near the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, in which had explosions in April of this year. Now there has been findings of radiation contamination in the beef that is being sold to restaurants and supermarkets in Japan. Japanese officials say that the contamination came from the hay that the cattle ate which is stored outside and could exposed to this radiation.

To prevent any further contamination, the Japanese government has banned all agricultural shipments in a 12 mile radius around the power plant. The government had already had been discussing a larger ban on produce coming from the Fukushima area due to speculations of other contaminated food. Farmers are now selling off their cattle for lesser prices because of this problem. So not only does Japan have to worry about recovering from the earthquake and the explosions at the power plant, radiation contamination is now a huge concern as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/world/asia/19beef.html?pagewanted=2&ref=nutrition