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Japan’s Fukushima peaches debut at Harrods, marking milestone since 2011 nuclear disaster

The fruit is now available at the luxury London department store, in a Japanese push to address safety concerns amid a global campaign to restore trust

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A customer tries peaches from Japan’s Fukushima prefecture, which went on sale at luxury department store Harrods in central London on September 7. Photo: AFP
Peaches from Fukushima can now be bought at London’s luxury department store Harrods in a Japanese push to ease fears about produce grown in the region hit by a nuclear disaster.
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A box of three large, juicy white peaches costs 80 pounds (US$100) – the first time the fruit is available at a shop in Europe, after sales at temporary events.
Before the 2011 atomic meltdown, Fukushima prided itself as a “fruit kingdom”, famous in Japan for its delicious offerings, including peaches, grapes, pears and cherries.

But after an earthquake-triggered tsunami unleashed the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, consumers feared eating them could harm their health and sales plunged.

Although the areas surrounding the stricken Fukushima Daiichi power station were evacuated over radiation fears, farms in the rest of the region were not contaminated.

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And before being sent to stores, all farm and fishery products from the northeastern Japanese prefecture now undergoes strict radiation inspection.

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