Officials with Fukushima Prefecture say the hay that cows were feed in Miniami-soma City, is contaminated with 75,000 becquerels per kilogram of cesium.

They’re still waiting for results of well water tests.

As a result of yesterday’s test results, Miniami-soma City is ordering all residents get tested for internal radiation contamination.  So far people from two areas of the city have levels of contamination that call for evacuations.

The contaminated cows got through radiation checks, before being shipped to slaughter, because only the outside of the cows were tested.  It turns out they were contaminated internally, because of the highly radioactive hay they ate.

Now more beef in a far off city have been found to be contaminated.  Officials in Shizuoka City, more than 300 kilometers (187 miles) from Minami-soma City, decided to check their meat packing factories.  They found that beef, bought back on June 10, is contaminated with 1,998 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram (the national safe limit is 500).

To make matters worse, most of that beef went to local restaurants, or retailers.   So far at least five prefectures have found contaminated beef.

A prefecture in Japan, is like a county in the U.S.   A region in Japan, is like a state in the U.S.

A couple of days ago Tokyo officials reported that cows from Fukushima Prefecture tested positive for high levels of cesium contamination.  Originally officials said none of the beef was sold in Tokyo markets.  Now they admit radioactive beef was sold.

Beef from a total of 11 cows, from a Minami Soma city farm, were tested.  But it turns out that beef from six cows, from the same farm, were not tested, and were sold in Tokyo and Tochigi markets.

Some of the contaminated beef tested for as much as 3,200 becquerels per kilogram of cesium.  The national safe limit is 500.

Officials from the Fukushima Prefecture have inspected the Minami Soma farm.  They discovered that the cows had been kept indoors, along with their feed.  A skin test on the cows, prior to shipment for slaughter, showed no radiation contamination.   Water for the cows came from a well, testing is being done on the water, as well as the feed.

Officials in Tokyo are now back tracking the shipping route used to deliver the beef.  There are concerns that somewhere along the route the beef became contaminated.  It’s also possible that the beef became contaminated during the butchering process.  This could mean that extremely high levels of cesium are being emitted, probably from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Tokyo officials say they found beef, shipped in from Fukushima Prefecture, is contaminated with high levels of cesium.

On 08 July 2011 the beef tested positive for 2,300 becquerels per kilogram of cesium, the national safe limit is 500 becquerels per kilogram.

The beef came from cows raised in Minami Souma, in Fukushima Prefecture.

Japan’s Health Ministry says this is the first time such high levels of radiation showed up in beef.  They are now requesting the six prefectures around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, to increase testing their cows for radiation.