Mikasa Foods' pesticide testing covers only half of shipments

Sunday 14th September, 05:54 AM JST

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14 Comments

fatloser at 07:12 AM JST - 14th September

How BIZZARE!!!!!!!!!!!! The rice should be inspected at the docks or at the mill.
serindipity at 08:49 AM JST - 14th September

Wow! They test half of it!?!? I'm surprised it's that much.
outofmydepth at 09:02 AM JST - 14th September

and i am sure those records are falisified.
some14some at 09:08 AM JST - 14th September

and i am sure those records are falisified.

if so, WHO probe is needed and data should be verified, get clean certificate for contaminated rice.
missbatten at 10:46 AM JST - 14th September

Probably WAS inspected at the docks...if this is the rice that was imported way back in 1993 (and some in subsequent years), including US rice that Japan was reported as having "obtained permission" to re-sell (re-export) this year - then it's been in storage in Japan for a looong time.

What's the bet that methamidophos came from fumigation in Japan to control spoilage during that time? With all the furore there was about foreign rice at the time it was imported, and the way the media were encouraged to fuss over a rat, I can't believe that tons and tons of rice were contaminated on arrival in Japan, yet nobody batted an eyelid.

The good imported rice is probably being re-sold overseas, and perhaps the rice that was spoiled and contaminated by fumigation during storage is what we are seeing now...
serindipity at 11:20 AM JST - 14th September

What's the bet that methamidophos came from fumigation in Japan to control spoilage during that time?

Sorry, missbatton. That is a false conclusion. The rice was known to be tainted before it was imported and was imported for industrial use. We know this because Mikasa bought it for ¥1 a kilo, but then sold it for ¥70 a kilo for food production. The government is as much to blame as Mikasa foods for not making any inquiries as to why a food producing company would buy 350 tons of rice which was not fit for human consumption.
missbatten at 11:52 AM JST - 14th September

Mikasa bought it for 1 yen/kilo from the government, Mikasa didn't import it. What I'm interested in is what happened between importation and sale by government (time scale and route)...so far, media have only covered the sales route from government to Mikasa.
nigelboy at 04:33 PM JST - 14th September

What's the bet that methamidophos came from fumigation in Japan to control spoilage during that time?

Zero. Metamidophos was never registered in Japan. So by default, the chemical cannot be used in Japan.
missbatten at 08:57 PM JST - 14th September

So where did the Japanese-labeled containers of metamidophos shown in the Japanese media year come from? E.g. photo accompanying article dated 02 Feb 2008, online in the Kobe Shimbun archives, though I recall seeing similar photos on TV and in other media.
missbatten at 09:33 PM JST - 14th September

Oops, further...

1) When foreign rice was first mentioned in connection with Mikasa Foods, it wasn't claimed that all the tainted rice was foreign rice. I've yet to hear that Japan's production or storage systems were definitely not involved.

2) Methamidophos was simply wasn't tested, documented, and registered as safe (not to say that it is safe). However, it has been found in Japanese soil and produce ever since acephate pesticides (which metabolize to Methamidophos) have become popular in Japan over 30 years ago. One acephate product in particular is VERY popular for both commercial and hobby use.

3) I can't count the number of times I've been told by people employed in various sectors of Japan's agriculture industry that the reason they don't believe that foreign producers stick to regulations regarding banned pesticides is because "everybody (=in Japan) knows the regulations can be ignored, so why should it be any different in other countries?" . This is just a general observation, not something I've heard from people involved in current incidents.
nigelboy at 12:18 PM JST - 15th September

missbatten

You're assuming that Metamidophos was used in fumigation when in most likelihood, it was sprayed over the top during the growth stage.

The use of Metamidophos is illegal in Japan simply because the chemical was not registered in Japan. There are many agricultural products imported to Japan that has traces of "illegal" chemicals in Japan. However, the only thing Japan is considered about is the actual concentration of such chemicals (PPM). The "Positivie List" indicates the maximum allowable PPM for each of chemicals (legal or illegal)
TheNewZen at 12:36 PM JST - 15th September

So where did the Japanese-labeled containers of metamidophos shown in the Japanese media year come from?

It exists in a higher/purer form(than the chinese stuff) for research, etc purposes only. Sales to the public, etc of it in any form are illegal.
missbatten at 11:29 PM JST - 15th September

Nigelboy, you are right, Methamidophos would have been used during production, not storage, but other contaminants (but only Methamidophos was actually named anywhere I've read) were also involved in the Mikasa rice, I believe.

Regarding reasons why Methamidophos is not approved in Japan, your point is the same one I was making - not "wasn't" approved, but "wasn't submitted" for approval.

TheNewZen, yes, it seems it is used in Japan for research, but that isn't quite the same as "no methamidophos in Japan" - which is simply untrue - it is sometimes detected (though usually at low levels) on crops that have been treated with acephate pesticides.

Maybe ALL the tainted rice was foreign in origin, but nowhere was it stated that methamidophos was the contaminant in every case, and even in cases where Methamidophos was found, I don't think that is a 100% guarantee of foreign origin.
nigelboy at 11:02 AM JST - 16th September

Missbatten

According to this article.

http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0905/TKY200809050244.html

メタミドホスが検出されたのは、もち米で、ウルグアイ・ラウンド合意に基づき０３年度に政府が中国から輸入した。その後、導入された残留農薬を厳しく規制する「ポジティブリスト制度」によるサンプル検査で、基準値を超える量が検出された

The sweet rice in question which contained methamidophos was imported from China in 2003 pursuant to the Uraguay Round Agreement. Subsequently, with the increased regulation of chemical residue (Positive list method) the sample was tested and was determined that it contained above the maximum threshold limit.

Several other origins of tainted rice are that I cited on this thread.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/tainted-rice-sold-to-hospitals-elderly-care-facilities#comment_99927

it is sometimes detected (though usually at low levels) on crops that have been treated with acephate pesticides.

The Positive List separates acephate from other pesticides/herbicides.

http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/bukyoku/iyaku/syoku-anzen/zanryu2/050603-1a.html