Fukushima firms look to Europe after import ban finally lifted | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

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SOMA, Fukushima Prefecture–Now that the European Union has lifted import restrictions on Fukushima Prefecture’s food products, local companies finally see light at the end of the tunnel overseas after more than a decade.

The firms are now racing to explore sales channels and develop new products for overseas customers.

The EU had imposed the food import ban after the 2011 triple meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

The ban was lifted on Aug. 3.

The companies aim to enhance their brand power in international markets, hoping to create a virtuous cycle in which their profile is also raised in the domestic market.

‘HEALTHY, ORGANIC’ SEA LETTUCE

Marinus Noordenbos, 50, who runs a company in the Netherlands to sell fishery products to at least 15 European countries, visited Maruri Foods Ltd. here on July 18 to sample “aosa” sea lettuce.

“It smells good and the color also looks good,” the Dutchman said in fluent Japanese. “It would be interesting to ask French cuisine chefs to create recipes.”

The aosa processing company facing Lake Matsukawaura was founded in 1993.

Its office building and factory were destroyed in the tsunami spawned by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, while fishermen’s fishing nets and other equipment were also washed away.

It took seven years for Maruri Foods to resume farming sea lettuce in the seashore lake, one of the country’s major production areas for aosa, and shipping products.

To counter reputational damage that ensued after the disaster, the company conducted daily radiation checks before shipments on its own to reassure consumers.

The company, which employs about 15 employees, is set to enter the Dutch market, which will serve as a distribution hub to Europe.

When an increasing number of people place importance on health and organic products, Noordenbos took note of aosa.

While seaweed is rarely seen on dinner tables in Europe, the Dutch businessman said he will take on a challenge to use the sea lettuce to make sauces and gelati.

Noordenbos also said there is increasing awareness of environmental burdens in the United States and European countries, adding that if business operators import products, they must be able to explain about the value that cannot be obtained in their own country.

“I want to work with people who are closely associated with, proud of and dedicated to their communities,” he said.

According to Junya Abe, 50, sales manager at Maruri Foods, aosa is rich in nutrients such as minerals and folic acid.

“In addition, our employees with at least 20 years of service remove impurities by hand,” he said. “They are more accurate than cutting-edge machines, and we are confident in the quality of our products.”

That day, it was decided to export frozen aosa to the Netherlands on a trial basis.

However, there are still challenges to overcome, including the discharge of treated contaminated water from the crippled nuclear power plant and rising seawater temperatures caused by climate change.

But Abe has high hopes for the overseas business after the EU lifted its import ban.

“If (aosa) is used by famous restaurants outside the country, it will also help raise our profile in Japan,” the sales manager added. “We hope it will be eaten more often at home and abroad.”

CATERING TO LOCAL NEEDS

Other companies have been making proactive efforts to enter overseas markets after seeing business suffer after the nuclear disaster.

One such is Igarashi Seimen Co. in Kitakata, also in Fukushima Prefecture, which is famous for Kitakata ramen, the city’s local specialty.

The company offers Kitakata ramen and six other ready-to-eat noodle products for customers in more than 20 countries including the United States and European countries.

The recent worldwide boom in Japanese cuisine and ramen may have contributed to increasing its clients, but that is not the only reason.

“It is important not only to push customers for ‘what’s authentic’ but also to adapt to their needs,” said President Takashi Igarashi, 69.

As Igarashi held business meetings with overseas clients, he was faced with the harsh reality where imports of food products containing animal ingredients are strictly controlled around the world.

Using plant-based materials, the company conducted research to find a special blend of aroma and color for savory-looking noodles that “can be enjoyed with the five senses.”

The noodles helped expand the customer base, receiving favorable reviews not only from vegetarians but also from people in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, many of whom abstain from eating meat for religious reasons.

While Igarashi Seimen has already been doing business with Japanese supermarkets in Europe, the president expects that the lifting of the import ban will be a positive factor.

“Currently, overseas sales account for less than 10 percent of our overall sales, but we want to increase the ratio to around 20 percent in the future,” Igarashi said.

Meanwhile, the president recalled how the 2011 nuclear accident brought an abrupt end to the company’s burgeoning business with restaurants in Taiwan and Hong Kong that started in 2005 after the prefectural government set up its Shanghai office.

A container ship carrying its products was forced to return to Japan after it was refused to unload its cargo even though the vessel had left port before the nuclear accident.

“Trading is difficult without good relations between countries,” Igarashi said. “I hope peaceful relations will be established so that it is worthwhile for private companies to devise ways and make efforts.”

After the nuclear disaster, 55 countries and regions imposed restrictions on imports of Japanese food products.

As of mid-August, import bans remain in place in seven countries and regions, including China, Hong Kong, Macao, South Korea and Taiwan.

The release of treated radioactive water from the crippled nuclear plant this summer has ignited a strong backlash particularly from China and Hong Kong.

“Import restrictions stemming from the nuclear accident and the release of the treated water are two different things,” a prefectural official said. “We want the government and Tokyo Electric Power to explain to foreign governments the safety of the treated water being released into the ocean based on scientific grounds.”



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