Posted by Rita Mu
Coca-Cola began negotiations last week with its South Korean unit about importing emergency mineral water to areas of Japan where tap water supplies have been affected by radiation.
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Negotiations are underway to meet demands for clean water in the Tohoku and adjacent Kanto regions, two of the worst affected areas from the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.
Radiation leaking from damaged nuclear reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi power plant has contaminated the country’s food and tap water supplies, triggering a boom in bottled water sales.
“Demand for bottled water has led to shortages across various supermarkets and even Japan’s ubiquitous convenience stores,” research analysts Kentaro Taniguchi and Tomoko Takanoura wrote in a Euromonitor International report on March 22. “Sales of bottled water may benefit from the expected shortage of potable water.”
According to Bloomberg, Coca-Cola may import one million cases of mineral water from South Korea to Japan. Bloomberg also reported that Nestle SA and Danone have both increased shipments of bottled water to Japan since the earthquake.
Other beverage companies including Suntory Holdings, Ito En and Kirin Beverage Co, have also increased imports of mineral water from Europe, according to Japan Today.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has asked the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service to begin testing seafood, seaweed, milk, fruit and vegetables imported from Japan for radiation contamination.
The risk of Australian consumers being exposed to radionuclides in food imported from Japan is negligible, according to FSANZ.
Image: Sodahead.com