Even though almost everyone in the real world of Japan is against it, our Prime Minister has declared Japan will join the TPP. Never mind local sourcing of food, some aspects of the economy might possibly rise by a fraction of a percent, he says. He also is quoted as follows, concerning Japan's ability to persuade the TPP people to allow Japan Japan's rules: Abe admitted that “it will be difficult to overturn rules already set” by the 11 TPP member countries in past rounds of talks.
It is frightening to think that the land that currently has the world's greatest longevity--due largely to food culture--is turning over rules concerning food supplies to the land that gave the world fried butter.
2013年3月16日土曜日
2011年9月23日金曜日
So, What About Food and Radiation?
Now that the immediate dangers from the tsunami/earthquake disaster are no longer pressing issues, the next great danger is probably contaminated soil and sea water: not because we are walking on that soil or swimming in that water, but because land and sea is where our food comes from. Is anything safe to eat?
Tomoko Otake of the Japan Times published an excellent article on September 20 addressing this very topic. Here are some of the highlights:
1. Wash your vegetables and fruits. Radioactive Iodine is no longer a big threat, as its half life of 8 days has already passed. But Cesium and Strontium remain. The good news? These radioactive substances dissolve. They can be washed off. Throw away the outer lettuce and cabbage leaves. Peel what can be peeled. Wash what can be washed.
2. Forget about brown rice for a while. The outer, brown layer of the rice grain is where the danger lies. These days, white rice is best. Soak it before cooking it, and throw away the water in which it was soaked and washed.
3. Bread and pasta are safe options. The wheat they are made from mostly comes from overseas.
4. Fish: hmmm. If they are smallish fish that were swimming around the contaminated area (because small fish do not have what it takes to travel far), better pass.
5. Meat: cook it.
6. Wakame and other edible sea veggies: find out where they are from. Wakame was briefly sought after because it is full of iodine that, if ingested, pre-empts the space that the radioactive iodine might have taken in the thyroid gland etc. However, if that wakame was grown in contaminated water, it will have absorbed the contaminants. Wash it. Soak it.
Tomoko Otake of the Japan Times published an excellent article on September 20 addressing this very topic. Here are some of the highlights:
1. Wash your vegetables and fruits. Radioactive Iodine is no longer a big threat, as its half life of 8 days has already passed. But Cesium and Strontium remain. The good news? These radioactive substances dissolve. They can be washed off. Throw away the outer lettuce and cabbage leaves. Peel what can be peeled. Wash what can be washed.
2. Forget about brown rice for a while. The outer, brown layer of the rice grain is where the danger lies. These days, white rice is best. Soak it before cooking it, and throw away the water in which it was soaked and washed.
3. Bread and pasta are safe options. The wheat they are made from mostly comes from overseas.
4. Fish: hmmm. If they are smallish fish that were swimming around the contaminated area (because small fish do not have what it takes to travel far), better pass.
5. Meat: cook it.
6. Wakame and other edible sea veggies: find out where they are from. Wakame was briefly sought after because it is full of iodine that, if ingested, pre-empts the space that the radioactive iodine might have taken in the thyroid gland etc. However, if that wakame was grown in contaminated water, it will have absorbed the contaminants. Wash it. Soak it.
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