The Reconstruction Agency is stepping up its efforts to prove that the foodstuffs being used inside the athletes village for the Tokyo Games are safe to eat.
Food from areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake, including Fukushima Prefecture, are being used in dining halls at the athletes village in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. However, the dishes have not been accompanied by information about where their ingredients come from, leading Diet members and others to argue that promotional measures have been insufficient.
It is not allowed, in principle, to put up posters or ads inside the athletes village. The agency asked the Games organizing committee before the Olympics began about putting up posters to promote the foodstuffsâ safety, but the committee initially refused, saying the restriction would be meaningless if an exception was made.
However, the agency argued that such posters were necessary to combat harmful rumors about the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The committee ultimately gave special permission for multiple copies of one poster to be put up.
Three versions of the poster in English, French and Japanese were put in the dining halls and cafes inside the athletes village on the evening of Aug. 5.
Five female students of Fukushima prefectural Iwase Agricultural High School are featured on the poster. The school has worked to obtain the GlobalG.A.P. â meaning Good Agricultural Practice â certification, which is an international accrediting system to prove the safety of agricultural products.
The students on the poster hold vegetables and fruits in their hands, with the message âWe want to surprise the world with the deliciousness of Fukushima.â
By scanning a QR code on the poster, people can access information about how the prefecture has thoroughly checked its foodstuffs for radioactive substances.
At the main press center where foreign reporters gather, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry held an explanation session on Friday attended by 23 journalists from overseas.
âVery strict shipment standards are applied to foodstuffs produced in Fukushima Prefecture, thereby making sure they are safe,â an official of the ministry said.
