Government has put safety on the backburner in sticking to rice imports

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Government has put safety on the backburner in sticking to rice imports

It has been found that imported rice contaminated with pesticides and mold has been used to make shochu (Japanese liquor) and cookies as well as foodstuffs for school lunch programs. The companies that have sold the tainted rice as food are primarily to blame. At the same time, the government must be held responsible for allowing these companies to distribute tainted rice instead of disposing of it.

On September 5, it was revealed that Osaka-based wholesaler Mikasa Foods was selling imported rice contaminated with cancer-causing mold and pesticides to brewers and food makers. It was discovered later that other companies like Asai and Ota Sangyo are also selling tainted rice for food.

Mikasa Foods has distributed tainted rice in14 prefectures. The Agriculture Ministry began on-the-spot inspections at 20 companies on September 8.

Government has authorized it

A Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry official says, “The sale of rice contaminated with pesticides and toxic mold at higher than the permissible levels is a violation of the Food Sanitation Law. Such rice should be shipped back.”

The trading firm Sumitomo Corporation sold Thai rice that got moldy to Mikasa Foods. The Health Ministry quarantine office told Sumitomo that the Thai rice had a problem. Then, Sumitomo got approval from the Agriculture Ministry to sell it to Mikasa Foods on condition that its usage is limited to the production of industrial glue.

The Agriculture Ministry authorized the sale of imported rice that is in violation of the Food Sanitation Law. The amount of rice that has been sold in Japan on approval from the ministry was 10,677 tons between 1996 and 2007.

The government has been urged by the public as well as the Japanese Communist Party to prohibit tainted rice from being sold in Japan and stop importing illegal rice for non-food purposes.

Agriculture Minister Ota Seiichi on September 10 announced that foreign rice that was found to contain higher than permissible levels of residual pesticides will be shipped back.

Government must not disclaim responsibility

Despite increasing public concerns about tainted rice, Agriculture Minister Ota Seiichi said, “I can say for sure that it will cause no health problems. So, please do not get upset about it.”

The government has been aware that tainted rice has been shipped to Japan, but has allowed such rice to be marketed instead of disposing of it.

The Japanese government has agreed to import 7,700,000 tons of rice to fulfill its WTO minimum access commitment. Under the WTO agreement Japan is forced to buy unnecessary foreign rice, which account for 8.4 percent of annual consumption in Japan. The enormous rice inventory is making it difficult for Japanese family farmers to continue rice production and is holding down the market price of rice. - Akahata, September 14, 2008