Tag Archives: Vegetables

Singapore Refutes WSJ Radioactive Japan Food Podcast!

Claim : Singapore Found New Radioactive Food From Japan!

This message (with a link to the WSJ podcast) went viral on WhatsApp and social media:

Singapore said it found radioactive contamination in four samples of vegetables imported from Japan and has extended the ban to food from two more Japanese prefectures.

Singapore’s Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority said radioactive contamination was found in Mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley), Nanohana (rapeseed plant), Mizuna (Japanese mustard) and perilla leaf samples.”

More Countries Ban Import of Japanese Food – With more countries detecting radioactive contamination in food imported from Japan, efforts to prevent it spreading through the global food chain have gained a new urgency (Wall Street Journal, 8/24/2023)

Singapore Refutes WSJ Radioactive Japan Food Podcast!

The Wall Street Journal podcast and transcript is genuine, and was posted on 24 August 2023, at 6:42 PM (local time). However, that was just an audio clip and transcript of an old WSJ article (now removed) that was originally posted on 25 March 2011 – more than 12 years ago!

It is unknown why the Wall Street Journal chose to publish this podcast and transcript from their old 2011 story, but it was released on the same day the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station started releasing its treated wastewater.

If there was any detection of radioactive food from Japan, it would have happened at least a day or two earlier, and would not have anything to do with the release of the treated wastewater from the Fukushima NPS.

On 3 September 2023, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) issued a public announcement (PDF download) to refute the Wall Street Journal podcast which claimed that it found new samples of radioactive vegetables fin Japan.

SFA stated that it had not found any new contaminated vegetables from Japan. Neither did the SGA ban any food products from any Japanese prefectures recently.

The SFA also stated that it monitors all food imports, and will take action if any food imports were found to be unsafe or unsuitable for consumption.

Clarification on circulating article/podcast regarding import of Japanese food products

In response to media queries regarding a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article/podcast titled “More Countries Ban Import of Japanese Food”, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has clarified that it has not found samples of contaminated vegetables from Japan or banned food products from any Japanese prefectures recently. The WSJ podcast has referred to a media release by the former Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in 2011. This has since been overtaken by events.

We wish to reiterate that SFA adopts a science-based approach towards assessing food safety risks. Food imported into Singapore is subjected to SFA’s surveillance and monitoring regime, which includes radiation surveillance and enforcement actions will be taken should any food imports be found to be unsafe or unsuitable for consumption.

The announcement by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore was not posted in August 2023, but over 12 years ago – on 24 March 2011 (PDF download).

DETECTION OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS IN FOUR SAMPLES OF VEGETABLES FROM JAPAN – AVA SUSPENDS IMPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM ADDITIONAL TWO PREFECTURES

Radioactive contaminants have been detected in four samples of vegetables from Japan. The contaminated samples were imported from the affected prefectures of Tochigi and Ibaraki, as well as Chiba and Ehime which are outside the affected areas. The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) will extend its suspension on the import of all fruits and vegetables to include Chiba and Ehime with immediate effect.

Issued by Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority On 24 Mar 2011

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) had earlier stated that there will be “no immediate ban on seafood from Japan” following the release of the treated Fukushima wastewater.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) stated that its surveillance of the safety of food from Japan has been satisfactory. It has not detected any radioactive contaminant in food imports from Japan since 2013.

In fact, Singapore lifted pre-export tests and Certificate of Origin requirements on approved food imports from the Fukushima prefecture on May 28, 2021.

To be clear, Singapore has not initiated any new import ban of food from Japan.

There is no doubt that Japan is facing a LOT of criticism over its release of the Fukushima waste water, even though IAEA and many experts have endorsed the plan.

However, this is just another example of FAKE NEWS being created around the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Here are other examples I fact checked earlier:

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Are Rohingyas using chemicals to freshen old vegetables to sell?!

Claim : Rohingyas Use Chemicals To Freshen Old Vegetables For Sale!

People are sharing a video of a man showing how he freshens old vegetables by dipping them into a chemical solution, so he can sell them as fresh vegetables!

The video has gone viral on social media, and is being shared on WhatsApp with messages like these:

The Rohingas population there is huge and they sell veggies like that
I’ve been to selayang market with H

Rohingas are protected by the UNCHR. They even have a big international school

The Rohingas do not buy the veggies

The foreigners and Malaysians buy the veggies
Especially the small biz people
Because it’s cheap

Watch how vegetables are made fresh by using chemicals in 105 seconds. That’s why arbuda (cancer) is growing. In 105 seconds, vegetables and fruits are freshened by cancer-causing chemicals.

THIS TECHNIQUE IS USED BY THE ROHINGYAS IN SELAYANG MARKETS WHO SOLD VEGETABLE ON THE ROADSIDES.

Are Rohingya refugees using chemicals to turn old vegetables into fresh vegetables?! 😱

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/J4pUhR2wNi #TechARP #Rohingya #Vegetable #Chemical #Food #FoodSafety #Safety #Danger #Facts #FactCheck #Hoax #Fake #FakeNews #Agriculture #Viral #Video pic.twitter.com/XUNFL7H0ul

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) March 29, 2023

Claim : Rohingyas Are Not Using Chemicals To Freshen Old Vegetables!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to cast aspersions on the marginalised Rohingyas who are refugees in Malaysia, and many other countries, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Is An Old + Edited Video

First, let me just point out that this is an old video that was edited for length, from its original run time of 4 minutes 7 seconds to just 1 minutes 42 seconds.

The earliest version appeared to have been uploaded to YouTube on 23 July 2021, by a Telugu channel called Mana Family Trends. Back then, it went viral on WhatsApp as well.

The shorter edited video first appeared on LinkedIn in middle of March 2023. It went viral there, and was reposted to Twitter on Friday, 17 March 2023, where it blew up.

Fact #2 : Original Video Did Not Refer To Rohingyas

The original video, and the newer but shorter video, did not refer to the Rohingyas in their description or titles.

See how dried leafy vegetables are made by dipping them in chemicals / వాడిపోయిన ఆకు కూరలు కెమికల్లో ముంచితె ఎలా తయారవుతున్నాయో చూడండి

This is 105 sec live video of how vegetables and fruits are freshened by washing them in chemicals. In just a minute, the vegetables look fresh. This is the reason for the increase in critical illnesses nowadays.

A two minute real life horror story. 😱

Fact #3 : The Video Was Recorded In India

The video was recorded in India, and not Malaysia. So it has absolutely nothing to do with the Rohingya refugees here in Malaysia.

Fact #4 : It Appears To Be A Spreader Sticker Activator Demonstration

The video does not show farmers freshening their old vegetables by dipping them into a chemical bath.

Rather, the video appears to show a salesperson from an agrochemical company demonstrating the wetting effect of a spreader sticker activator.

Spreader sticker activator is meant to be mixed with other chemicals, because it is inert and works as an adjuvant (see Fact #5). Therefore, you won’t see anyone dip their produce into the spreader sticker activator, as seen in the viral video, except in demonstrations like this.

Fact #5 : Many Agrochemical Products Contain Spreader Sticker Activator

Spreader Sticker Activator is a silicone-based chemical compound that is mixed with pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers to boost their performance by:

reducing surface tension, to allow for rapid wetting and absorption
improving the adhesion of those chemicals
opening the pores for faster absorption

By using a sticker spreader activator, you can use less chemicals and yet, they are more effective and last longer, saving you money. Hence, many agrochemical products already come with sticker spreader activator mixed in as an adjuvant.

Fact #6 : Spreader Sticker Activators Are Considered Biologically Inert

Spreader sticker activators are considered to be biologically inert, and are therefore not registered by the US EPA. There is also no OSHA hazard classification.

There is currently no evidence that spreader sticker activators can cause cancer, or any other disease.

That said, its safety profile is based on the fact that only a small amount is mixed with other chemicals. It is not meant to be applied alone to plants, never mind used to soak them.