Start of Japan's Contaminated Water Discharge, Distribution Industry "Raising Alert Level... Increasing Inspection Intensity" (Comprehensive)

Department Stores, Large Mart, Home Shopping, and Other Distribution Industries
Strengthening Seafood Inspection by Response Stage
Expanding Offshore Products and Stockpiles as Countermeasures
"Government Must Actively Address Consumer Anxiety"

On the afternoon of the 24th, Japan began discharging contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. Domestic distribution industries such as department stores, large marts, and home shopping channels handling seafood have actively communicated the strengthening of seafood inspections at each response stage, while expanding stocks of offshore products unaffected by the contaminated water and reserves as part of their response measures.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Large marts have emphasized that since early this year, they have been responding by establishing a 'radiation safety management system' aimed at strengthening radiation safety management of seafood. Emart has elevated its response system to the caution stage among normal, caution, alert, and severe stages from this day, strengthening inspections. At the caution stage, up to 75% of the target fish species are sampled for inspection. Emart stated, "Since June, we have already increased the number of inspections and conducted detailed sample inspections up to 50%, but from this day forward, we have raised the inspection rate to 75% at the caution stage," adding, "We will strengthen our response so that customers can purchase seafood with confidence." Emart conducts a first round of radiation measurement using a simple radiation device at the logistics center for handled seafood, followed by additional radiation inspections with precise instruments at the Emart Product Safety Center the next day.

Lotte Mart has also established and implemented a seafood safety inspection system at every stage from production sites to store arrival since February. Currently, Lotte Safety Center has expanded the seafood safety inspections from once quarterly per major fishing port sample to four times a week, and plans to further increase inspection frequency after the discharge.

Homeplus has not handled Japanese seafood since the Fukushima incident in 2011, and when contaminated water is discharged, it secures and sells only products confirmed safe through supplier self-inspections of domestic seafood. A Homeplus official said, "We enforce strict quality control by requiring all suppliers of domestic seafood to submit product inspection certificates, ensuring customers can purchase seafood with confidence," adding, "We are closely monitoring the situation, strengthening seafood safety management processes, and will thoroughly secure seafood safety according to future government policies and guidelines."

Department stores have also strengthened seafood inspections to dispel consumer concerns. Lotte Department Store has not sold Japanese seafood since 2011 and regularly checks radiation survey results from the National Fisheries Products Quality Management Service to ensure seafood safety. Shinsegae Department Store purchases domestic seafood only from regional fisheries cooperatives' auction markets where regular radiation inspections are conducted and additionally performs radiation inspections at the Shinsegae Department Store Product Science Laboratory to prepare for radiation risks. Hyundai Department Store has equipped each store with simple radiation measuring devices and conducts safety inspections on some quantities. After the contaminated water discharge, it plans to utilize high-performance radiation measuring devices at its Food Research Institute.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Home shopping channels have also taken measures such as full inspections. Lotte Home Shopping plans to add radiation inspections to the quality inspections currently conducted by specialized institutions for products sold. Currently, all products sold on Lotte Home Shopping undergo quality inspections by affiliated specialized institutions before broadcasting, and the procedure will be expanded to include radiation inspections. A Lotte Home Shopping official said, "The seafood currently sold has been processed and stored at least three months prior to retail, so there is no immediate impact from the contaminated water, but considering consumers' anxiety, we made this decision," adding, "We will do our best so consumers can trust and enjoy our products."

Hyundai Home Shopping is also strengthening existing safety inspections to alleviate consumer concerns. Hyundai Home Shopping currently conducts primary food safety inspections through the Radiation Analysis Center operated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and plans to add 'sample surveys' before sales using its own seafood radiation measuring devices. Hyundai Home Shopping decided to equip high-performance radiation measuring devices immediately after the contaminated water discharge decision.

NS Home Shopping signed a business agreement with RM Tech, a company developing radiation measurement equipment and radiation disaster prevention systems, on the 25th of last month to strengthen seafood radiation safety. According to the agreement, NS Home Shopping will conduct regular monthly radiation inspections on products sold and will track long-term results after inspections, providing the same services to small and medium-sized NS partner companies.

Ahead of the Chuseok holiday peak season, management of seafood gift sets has also been strengthened. Lotte Department Store secured more than three times the stock of representative seafood items such as dried yellow corvina, dried fish, and anchovies compared to last Lunar New Year. They explained that they pre-stocked expected quantities through next Lunar New Year to enable safe purchases. Shinsegae Department Store also pre-secured domestic dried yellow corvina, hairtail, and tilefish quantities through next Lunar New Year. They are introducing new products such as crustaceans and dried fish from Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, and other regions geographically distant from Japan with low radiation risk, and plan to gradually increase these products. The share of Atlantic and Mediterranean seafood among Shinsegae Department Store's entire seafood items has nearly quadrupled compared to the previous year. Hyundai Department Store explained that it has already completed purchasing quantities of representative holiday gift set items such as dried yellow corvina and tilefish. The stocked quantities are stored in warehouses maintaining appropriate temperatures, and for storable seafood like dried yellow corvina and hairtail, they are securing as much raw material as possible while diversifying import sources.

Lotte Mart said, "Seafood gift sets mainly consist of domestic frozen dried yellow corvina, hairtail, and tilefish," adding, "All products are frozen stocks pre-stocked before the contaminated water issue, so there is no impact on raw materials, but we plan to strengthen quality inspections by conducting radiation inspections on all products just before set production." Nevertheless, anticipating a possible decline in demand for domestic dried yellow corvina, hairtail, tilefish, and seaweed gift sets, they introduced imported frozen shrimp gift sets and strengthened premium pollock roe quantities and large-sized jerky gift sets.

Experts believe that ultimately, consumer anxiety must be alleviated, so not only the industry's voluntary efforts but also active government responses are necessary. They emphasize the need to actively address the amplified consumer anxiety caused by the start of Fukushima contaminated water discharge. Domestic seafood consumption sharply declined after the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 and when the Japanese government admitted nuclear contaminated water leakage in 2013. Park Jun-mo, a researcher at the Fisheries Economy Research Institute of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, revealed at a National Assembly forum this year that average daily seafood transactions at Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market decreased by 12.4% over three months in 2011. In 2013, seafood consumption dropped by 40% in traditional markets and by 20% each in large marts and wholesale markets.

Professor Lee Eun-hee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said, "The situation will vary depending on how the government alleviates consumer concerns amid growing anxiety after the discharge," adding, "Supporting portable radiation measuring devices for seafood market merchants to have on hand and allowing consumers to view real-time results, or periodically sampling water areas and publicly announcing contamination levels are various methods." She emphasized, "Supporting these two tracks will greatly reduce consumer anxiety."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.