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CONTAMINATED FOOD - JAPAN: INSECTICIDE, CYANIDE, RECALLS
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

[1] Insecticide in noodles
[2] Cyanide in well water

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[1] Insecticide in noodles
Date: Fri 24 Oct 2008
Source: USA Today, Associated Press (AP) report [edited]
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-24-noodles-recall_N.htm?csp=34

Recall issued for tainted Japanese noodles

One of Japan’s largest instant noodle makers said Friday [24 Oct
2008] it was issuing a nationwide recall after a woman grew sick when
she ate a cup of noodles that was later found to be tainted with an
insecticide.

Nissin Food Products, Co., which makes the Cup Noodle brand instant
noodles, said it was recalling the products and advised customers not
to eat noodles that had an odd smell or damaged packaging.

[snipped]

Nissin president Susumu Nakagawa said the noodles could not have been
contaminated at his company’s factories. “We have confirmed that the
chemical is not and has not ever been used in this product,” he told
reporters at a press conference late Thursday [23 Oct 2008].

snipped.

The noodles were found to be contaminated with
paradichlorobenzene, a chemical used in bug repellent.

On Friday [24 Oct 2008], the Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union,
which runs a chain of cooperative supermarkets, said it had found the
chemical in several varieties of Cup Noodle made by Nissin and was
pulling the products from its stores.

continued.
—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[Nissin pot noodles are sold widely. I remember them in Indonesia

http://www.nissinfoods.com/cupnoodles
http://ramenlovers.blogspot.com/search/label/Indonesia
and at Tesco supermarkets in the UK
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Nissin_-_Pot_Noodles_In_Tesco.html
- Rapp.MM]

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[2] Cyanide in well water
Date: Sun 26 Oct 2008
Source: The Malaysian Insider, Associated Press (AP) report [edited]
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/world/11213-japanese-sausage-recall-after-cyanide-scare

Japanese sausage recall after cyanide scare

A major Japanese meat processor said Sunday [26 Oct 2008] it was
recalling millions of packages of sausages and pizzas after finding
cyanide in water at one of its plants.

Itoham Foods Inc. said in a public notice published in national
newspapers that tests have found up to 3 times the government limit
of cyanide in the well water normally used in the products. The
announcement was the latest in a raft of recalls following reports of
contamination. The latest recall covers nearly 2.7 million packages
of sausages and pizza sold in Japan.

Itoham said it had detected large amounts of cyanide in the water at
2 of the 3 wells at its factory in Chiba, near Tokyo. Tests were
still being carried out on sausages to see if they had been tainted.

Cyanide, often used in fertilizers, can seep into ground water, where
small amounts are often found. Itoham spokesman Yoshiro Matsuzaki
said this was the 1st time in its 40 years of operation that the
company had found unhealthy levels of cyanide in its wells.

Itoham, the country’s 2nd-biggest meat processor, based in
Nishinomiya, western Japan, said it believed the products would not
pose any risk to health if consumed. The company said it has not
received any reports of health problems and the recalls are
voluntary. “Please accept our sincere apology,” Itoham said in a
statement. “We will do our utmost to prevent future problems and
ensure product safety.”

—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[Additional news reports at
http://www.pr-inside.com/japanese-sausage-recall-after-cyanide-scare-r880550.htm
and
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-26-sausage-recall_N.htm?csp=34
- Rapp.MM

This looks over-cautious on the part of the manufacturer. The amount
of cyanide absorbed by the sausage meat during processing was likely
so small you would have to live on an exclusive diet of sausages for
months before building up a toxic dose. Nevertheless, government
limits on cyanide in water are a prudent measure.

For CDC’s Facts About Cyanide go to
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent/cyanide/basics/facts.asp Mod.JW

The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Japan is available at
http://healthmap.org/promed?v=36.1,138.5,5
CopyEd.MJ]
...................................jw/mj/dk

Is that Cup of Noodles that’s sold in the US?

DUH! Read first. It says only in Japan.

If they’re manufactured in Japan, how did they get contaminated? The article leaves a lot of unanswered questions.

For those interested in thrift - and chocolate - there are probably already big sales on unused Halloween candy.

While chocolate isn’t one of the four food groups, it takes little space, stores very easily in a sealed container, and lasts practically forever.