If you're as devout a [green] tea drinker as myself, you're no doubt concerned and somewhat conflicted about the news coming out of Japan. Specifically that up to 679 becquerels per kilogram of Cesium have been discovered in Shizuoka Prefecture, the largest green tea growing region (42%) in Japan. 500 becquerels per kilogram is the permitted max in Japan [and Europe].
[note]I should note, the maximum allowable amount of Cesium is 1200 becquerels per kilogram in the United States.
In this case, I'm going to stick with the Japanese and European limits. First off, they have a lot more experience dealing with nuclear power, plus with the influence big business holds over our elected representatives, there's no doubt in my mind where their loyalties lie.[/note]
There is, however, more to consider before jumping to conclusions or panicking should you have or accidentally purchase some of this tea.
The processing of green tea starts with picking, steaming, drying and rolling the green tea (removing nearly all the moisture) into what is known as Aracha, and is where the high levels of Cesium were reported. This process concentrates the levels of Cesium up to 5 times, but when the tea is infused (when you make tea), the concentration of Cesium is reduced by from 10 to 40 times (The two articles referenced previously gave two different numbers, one much greater than the other.)
So the question arises, and is a point of some contention between farmers and government officials, when should the levels of Cesium be measured? The farmers obviously wanted it measured in the fresh leaf, prior to becoming Aracha, but government officials disagreed, and won out, arguing people can ingest raw leaves (some of the leaves always manage to find a way out of the infuser), and some product is ground up, and used in ice cream, latte's etc.
As for me, I'm not going to risk purchasing any green tea from Shizuoka Prefecture (as hard as that may be), which may some how escape proper inspection, and limit my purchases to areas west of Shizuoka i.e. Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu areas of Japan.
No amount of Cesium is good (it has a 30 year half life), and if I'm going to err, it is going to be on the side of caution. And who knows for sure, a little Cesium may not be so bad for someone such as myself. I don't think it can be much worse than infusing my body with any of the deadly chemicals, sometimes referred to as medicine [which is incorrect IMO] and currently used for the treatment of cancer.
[note]I should note, the maximum allowable amount of Cesium is 1200 becquerels per kilogram in the United States.
In this case, I'm going to stick with the Japanese and European limits. First off, they have a lot more experience dealing with nuclear power, plus with the influence big business holds over our elected representatives, there's no doubt in my mind where their loyalties lie.[/note]
There is, however, more to consider before jumping to conclusions or panicking should you have or accidentally purchase some of this tea.
The processing of green tea starts with picking, steaming, drying and rolling the green tea (removing nearly all the moisture) into what is known as Aracha, and is where the high levels of Cesium were reported. This process concentrates the levels of Cesium up to 5 times, but when the tea is infused (when you make tea), the concentration of Cesium is reduced by from 10 to 40 times (The two articles referenced previously gave two different numbers, one much greater than the other.)
So the question arises, and is a point of some contention between farmers and government officials, when should the levels of Cesium be measured? The farmers obviously wanted it measured in the fresh leaf, prior to becoming Aracha, but government officials disagreed, and won out, arguing people can ingest raw leaves (some of the leaves always manage to find a way out of the infuser), and some product is ground up, and used in ice cream, latte's etc.
As for me, I'm not going to risk purchasing any green tea from Shizuoka Prefecture (as hard as that may be), which may some how escape proper inspection, and limit my purchases to areas west of Shizuoka i.e. Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu areas of Japan.
No amount of Cesium is good (it has a 30 year half life), and if I'm going to err, it is going to be on the side of caution. And who knows for sure, a little Cesium may not be so bad for someone such as myself. I don't think it can be much worse than infusing my body with any of the deadly chemicals, sometimes referred to as medicine [which is incorrect IMO] and currently used for the treatment of cancer.
Comments
How do you know where your tea is grown? Is it on the package? Is there anything preventing the importer from changing the package?
Think I'll stick to Chinese green tea for now.
They were also the more expensive brands that I buy @ $68 for 600 grams, but they're better tasting than the cheaper stuff, and I'm worth it. :)
And as far as anything preventing the importer/exporter from changing the package, I doubt it. You just have to some faith they won't. Besides how do you know some unethical Chinese importer hasn't bought all this Shizuoka green tea (at very cheap prices), and is now reselling it as Chinese tea?
That's a far more likely prospect, IMO, than a Japanese exporter changing his packaging, but then again they both could be complicit. Like I said, you have to have some faith, and in this case I'm siding with the Japanese.