A Japanese food company on Tuesday said that radioactive cesium suspected to have come from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant has been detected in baby formula.
The Meiji Company said it was recalling canned powdered milk for infants after it found cesium in a sample of the product, reported Kyodo news agency.
It marks the first time the radioactive substance was found in baby formula at up to 30.8 becquerels per kilogram. The levels are below the government’s allowable level of 200 becquerels, though concerns for infants’ susceptibility may prompt the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry to set a new limit.
An official with the company told the news agency that Meiji will offer free replacements for customers over the incident, which could affect around 400,000 cans of the formula.
The isotope was discovered in batches of baby formula with expiration dates of Oct. 4, 21, 22, and 24, 2012, reported Kyodo, citing the company.
Following the announcement of the recall, shares of Meiji Holdings, the parent company, fell by nearly 10 percent on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
The news comes a day after a crack was discovered in a containment wall at the Fukushima plant, which allowed the leak of at least 45 tons of radioactive water. Some of the contaminated water reached the sea.
