Japan’s leaf gets all clear
Japan Tobacco has been considered an unlikely acquisition target because of the Japanese government’s blocking stake. But there has been talk about the government selling of some of its share as a way to help fund Japanese post-Tsunami recovery.
Japan Tobacco Inc. said today that testing for radioactive materials in this year’s domestic Burley tobacco had been completed and had shown that none of the leaf tested had exceeded the JT standard value.
JT has been conducting pre-purchase and other tests at each stage of its production process for radioactive materials in Japanese domestic leaf tobacco, using a standard value, since the accident at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011.
‘Prior to this year’s Japanese domestic tobacco harvest, the company has again been conducting radioactive material testing on leaf tobacco before purchase, with the support of tobacco growers,’ JT said in a note posted on its website.
‘Testing of this year’s Burley has now been completed, showing none of the leaf tobacco tested exceeded the JT standard value (Radioactive cesium: 100Bq/kg).
‘Furthermore, JT will continue with its scheme of testing domestic leaf tobacco after purchase, and testing and monitoring a number of times at each stage of the production process.’
