Tainted rice sold to hospitals, elderly care facilities

Friday 12th September, 07:00 AM JST

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Latest 15 of 39 Total Comments Show All

suebe36d at 12:17 PM JST - 12th September

Knowingly poisoning hospitalized and elderly is GUILTY OF PREMEDITATED MURDER as insidious effects are long drawn out health deterioration mimicking old age and depression.
nigelboy at 12:18 PM JST - 12th September

Mr. Mukatsuku

Then why did the MAFF just announced that they would "return" 返品 future tainted rice from overseas?

http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/shakai/20080912AT1G1103T11092008.html
desmosedici at 12:39 PM JST - 12th September

"It's not our fault, we bought it from foreigners". Why didn't the government use this popular excuse? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Actually, a couple of days ago a morning news program actually showed how this rice importing business works. They explained that in order to enable Japan to keep a levy of 778% on imported rice, to protect Japan's own rice market, they have to import (as was concluded with the WTO) 77.000? tons of rice, any rice. They knew it concerned inedible rice. So far so good and I hope they had many viewers. The government could have bought good quality edible rice, but that will cost a lot more money, so they were so smart as to go for the cheapest rice. But now they have turned it around. The Minister of Agriculture, the crook that cooks the books himself, suggests that companies stumbling on tainted rice, to have it returned to the country where it originated. What are these people thinking? Not about the money, our money, that has been wasted I presume.
MrMukatsuku at 12:50 PM JST - 12th September

nigelboy

As desmosedici@ says - The Japanese Government were busted for buying tainted (cheap) rice to circumvent the WTO deal.

The bottom line is, a Japanese company sold tainted rice to the public knowing it was tainted.
PASHA_51 at 12:53 PM JST - 12th September

So sad and such culprits should be treated harshly for playing with lives of old parents specilally sick and hospitalized. Govt should take more care and test edibles before imported in to Nihon.
nigelboy at 12:54 PM JST - 12th September

I don't think so Mr. Mukatsuku

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.

Also in the same article, they say Japan imports 770,000 Metric Tons/year under the the Uruguay Round. Of which roughtly 2,000 tons were determined to be "tainted" (事故米）

So I don't think the statement of "Japanese government went looking for tainted rice on the world market" applies here.
MrMukatsuku at 01:03 PM JST - 12th September

nigelboy@

Might I suggest you stay on topic.

The bottom line is, a Japanese company sold tainted rice to the public knowing it was tainted.

The thread you are looking for is:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-to-return-foreign-rice-to-exporting-nations-if-found-to-be-tainted
nigelboy at 01:14 PM JST - 12th September

Mr. Mukatsu.

I'm fully aware of the fact that a Japanese company sold tainted rice to the public knowing it was tainted. This qualifies under no duh!!

What I'm responding to is your statement that "The Japanese Government bought the rice from China knowing it was tainted." and "Japanese government went looking for tainted rice on the world market".
MrMukatsuku at 01:24 PM JST - 12th September

nigelboy@

I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous post:

MrMukatsuku at 12:05 PM JST - 12th September

That answered his question, and...

desmosedici at 12:39 PM JST - 12th September

Who has also answered that question.
nigelboy at 01:48 PM JST - 12th September

Sorry MrMukatsuku.

All you have is "The Chinese and Vietnamese sellers were advertising the rice as tainted (and hence cheap!) " without any proof.

Combined with your "To conform to the WTO Rice deal. Buying tainted rice is the **most economical way **to agree to this deal. "

Your logic is...

The Japanese government bought a mere 2,000 Metric ton/year of tainted rice (which according to your were advertised by China/Vietnam as being tainted) out of the TOTAL 770,000 Metric ton/year **bought from overseas in order to conform to the WTO Rice deal because it was **the most economical way to agree to this deal.
MrMukatsuku at 02:16 PM JST - 12th September

I earnestly suggest switching to the thread:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-to-return-foreign-rice-to-exporting-nations-if-found-to-be-tainted

but since you insist...

All you have is "The Chinese and Vietnamese sellers were advertising the rice as tainted (and hence cheap!) " without any proof.

If someone tries to sell you a car for \20,000 then your going to ask "What's wrong with it?" This was cheap rice. There was a reason for it's price. It was spoiled. The Japanese Government knew it was spoiled. The Japanese Government bought it with the intention of Japanese companies making glue. Why buy good rice and waste money on an industrial process, when spoiled rice serves the same purpose, and is cheaper.

To conform to the WTO Rice deal. Buying tainted rice is the most economical way to agree to this deal.

770,000 at full price,

is not as cheap as:

768,000 at full price + 2,000 tainted price.
MrMukatsuku at 02:17 PM JST - 12th September

\20000 is 20000Yen
Osakadaz at 02:41 PM JST - 12th September

An interesting thing happened when I recently returned to Japan.I had brought back a kilo of Jasmine rice and a kilo of Basmati rice for special meals and found that I had to declare it due to the new customs restrictions.You would thing a country that does so much to protect it's rice industry would at least inspect the rice,but no! They just looked at the weight and made me fill out a form,saying 'You are allowed to import up to 200 KG of rice a year!!' WTF?????? After doing the whole fingerprinting and waiting in line for 40 mins you can imagine the mood I was in.Should I laugh or cry?
nigelboy at 03:02 PM JST - 12th September

sigh.

I earnestly suggest switching to the thread:

That would be too easy. If the Japanese government knowingly bought tainted rice as per your "The Chinese and Vietnamese sellers were advertising the rice as tainted (and hence cheap!)", they would of just come out and said "Japanese to stop buying foreign rice to exporting nations if found to be tainted" instead of using the term "return". Or better yet, "Japanese to stop buying tainted rice PERIOD".

Here's another example to which supports my position that it is the Japanese government that determines whether the rice is "tainted" after it is imported.

http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/shakai/20080906AT1G0600M06092008.html

農水省は04年、ベトナムから輸入し、京都農政事務所で保管していたうるち精米に発がん性の強いカビ毒であるアフラトキシンが含まれていることを確認した。同省はこのコメを食用としては使えない事故米と認定

In 2004, the MAFF imported rice from Vietnam was stored in Kyoto Agricultural Office. During the milling process, it was determined that it contained aflatoxin. MAFF determined that the said rice was not suited for edible purpose and thus classfied (認定）it as "tainted rice".

And another http://www.jacom.or.jp/news/news08/nous101k08091109.html 再発防止策の確立の中には、今後輸入検疫で問題のあった事故米は全て返送するようにという対策が含まれている。

”Another preventive measure indicated by MAFF was to "return" the tainted rice if there is a problem during the quarantine inspection.”

Gee. Wouldn't it be easier just to stop the shipment of tainted rice in Vietnam/China in the first place? Hmm.

And again, I suggest you read the article I posted before

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

On the left of the article, there is a flow chart which indicates that it's the government that classifies whether the rice is "tainted" or not.

So Mr. Mukatsuku. Wouldn't it be easier just to show proof that "The Chinese and Vietnamese sellers were advertising the rice as tainted"? I mean, that is the whole basis of your argument.
BBLeo at 04:51 PM JST - 12th September

This is like an old song. For elderly there are no privileges of something good and tasty. Once they stop working they are second class citizens. Norway is the best country in the world towards life for elderly and pensioners. Will this rice cover some of the millions of yen missing from Japans pensioners’ fund?