August 5, 2011

FASMAC Co., Ltd., Begins Conducting Radioactive Material Testing and Analysis Services
The Nippon Flour Mills Group agrees to the Eurofins Group’s plan to donate the entire profit from a new RMA lab to disaster victims.

Nippon Flour Mills Co., Ltd. (Chairman, President, CEO & COO: Hiroshi Sawada, hereinafter the “Company”) announces that its Group company, FASMAC Co., Ltd. (President: Satoshi Futo; hereinafter, “FASMAC”), has begun conducting radioactive material testing and analysis services by Eurofins Analytics K.K., which has newly opened a laboratory for Radioactive Material Analysis (RMA) in Japan.
The Company has a business tie-up with Eurofins Scientific, the parent company of Eurofins Analytics. Eurofins Scientific is a life sciences company that has been operating internationally since 2006 to provide analytical testing in a wide range of fields, including food, environment, and pharmaceutical products.

● Two testing and analysis services that meet the demands for radioactive material analyses
FASMAC provides two types of services—radionuclide analysis using gamma ray spectrometry and site visits using Geiger counters to carry out inspections on products. Both of these services apply Eurofins Scientific’s technical and scientific expertise in radioactive material analyses of food, transferring its experience accumulated in Europe over the years following the 1986 Chernobyl Power Plant Explosion to Japan. Demands for such tests and analyses have been increasing since the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in March, which has raised concerns over radioactive contamination in the country’s supplies of food and water. The Food Sanitation Act of Japan stipulates provisional regulation values concerning any radioactive materials present in food, and this has contributed to increasing calls for food safety checks. What is more, many countries, including a number in Europe, require radiation safety certificates to be attached to food products and other items from Japan. In response, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has been promoting the introduction of equipment for testing exports for radiation.

●Radionuclide analysis that complies with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and also permits the issuance of test certificates
Radionuclide analysis utilizing gamma ray spectrometry is one of the methods listed in the Manual on Radiation Measurement of Food in Emergency Situations from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (hereinafter, the “MHLW”). This method permits an analysis of the energy distribution of the unique gamma rays emitted by radioactive materials, enabling the identification of such radioactive materials as iodine-131 and cesium-134/137. It also allows the measurement of radiation dose from the materials. Such analyses and testing are also conducted at Eurofins Scientific’s laboratory in Hamburg, Germany, one of the official laboratories designated by the MHLW in countries receiving Japan exports. Use of this laboratory permits issuance of Radiation Safety Certification, which is mandatory for food items to be exported to EU countries.

● Meeting customer needs with site visits to conduct inspections with Geiger counters
The conducting of site visits is intended to monitor products, such as those stored in port warehouses, for radiation with the use of Geiger counters. This service, which permits quick radioactivity tests of products to be exported at places specified by customers, has been utilized by many exporters and received high acclamation.

● Nippon Flour Mills Group agrees to the Eurofins Group’s plan to donate the entire profit from its RMA lab to support disaster victims.
The Eurofins Group has expressed its intention of donating all profits from the new RMA laboratory. The Nippon Flour Mills Group has agreed to this plan.

● Protecting food safety and security for improving trust in food from Japan
For the 115 years since its establishment, Nippon Flour Mills Co., Ltd., has been contributing to the healthy diets of Japanese consumers by providing a variety of food items, including flour. The Company hopes that the provision of these two new services, which have proven track records in the United States and Europe, will contribute to food safety and security and, thus, improve other countries’ trust in food from Japan.

To continue reading, please go to the following page:
http://www.e-nippn.com/news/pdf/E-1-20110805_rm.pdf