But the Japanese authorities want reassuring

The calendar is the most unfortunate. While the international authorities want to since several reassuring days as to the risks associated with the passage of the plume from Fukushima, the municipality of Tokyo just prohibit the consumption of water from the tap for babies. In issue, the discovery of iodine radioactive twice higher than the allowed standard level. Traces of radioactive substances had already detected the weekend last in water from the tap in the capital, but they were less than legal doses.

Noticeable anxiety among Japanese consumers traditionally concerned with food security, spread abroad, where several countries have decided to strengthen the controls or block purely and simply the Japanese food imports. The United States thus prohibits the entry into their territory of milk, dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruit from four Japanese prefectures, whose of Fukushima. In Europe, it is the France who asked the European Commission to impose a "systematic review" on fresh Japanese imports at the borders of the European Union. And pending a decision from Brussels, Paris has already decided to unilaterally inspect the shellfish and fish from the Japan, even if they represent a small part of the products imported by the hexagon.

Mistrust is also in Asia. If the last week there was in China to a real rush cities of Si on la sur la iodé iodized, si dès la semaine dernière on assistait dans certaines villes chinoise à une véritable ruée des Si sur la iodé, the consumers, who are also rare in Japanese in cities of the area restaurants. Whether it is Korea in southern Seoul, Manila in the Philippines or Hong Kong.

It is true that in Fukushima Prefecture, where the Central, abnormal levels of radioactivity found in raw milk and eleven kinds of vegetables, as well as in raw milk and vegetables three other neighbouring prefectures. Leading Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, ordered the ban on the consumption and sale of products from these areas, including spinach, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Tuesday, the Ministry of health had also intensified controls on fish and shellfish caught along the coast, after the detection of radioactivity in sea water near the plant.

But the Japanese authorities want reassuring. "Even if these foods are eaten from time to time, there is no risk to health", said the spokesman for the Government, Yukio Edano. "Unfortunately, this situation may take a long time, that is why we are asking their ban now," he still warranted. And to try to anticipate a new crisis, tests on food products will be extended to ten other prefectures the Fukushima plant, some of which are at the gates of Tokyo and its 35 million people.

Measures involved while Fukushima nuclear power situation is still confused. If a first success was won yesterday evening by the technicians which are to restoring the lighting in the 3 reactor control room, the pumps of the system of water supply, damaged by the earthquake and the tsunami of March 11, are still down. And on Wednesday s black smoke ' was still 3 reactor, forcing the evacuation of the employees who worked on the spot.

The double disaster of 11 March that caused more than 24,000 deaths or disappearances would cost the Japan until 217.4 billion euros (25,000 billion yen) according to the last government estimate. A figure which could be in fact much more important because it takes into account the estimated amount of damage to infrastructure, housing and businesses in the Northeast and records the impact of electricity shortages in the region of Tokyo, for example. According to the Government, the damage could amputate the growth of the country by 0.5 point.

Photo: Reuters