First and foremost: With regard to radio activity at the moment we (in Europe) can eat all food from Japan without hesitation:

• The percentage of food imports from Japan amounts in Europe to a mere .1%. Typical Japanese food like shiitake mushrooms don’t actually come from Japan, but grow in European greenhouses. The sushi consumed in Europe only rarely comes from the North Pacific.
• There is no way that potentially contaminated food could already be in Europe. Fish from Japanese waters end up on the German market no sooner than three months after being caught (according to the Bundesverband der deutschen Fischindustrie).
• Soy sauces (the most significant foodstuff import from Japan) mature in barrels and are thus safe to consume for at least another year (according to the Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg).

So there’s no reason to panic for the time being. However, some believe that in the long term there will be a danger for us European consumers. That’s why with barcoo you can find out, for example, where that fish you want to buy comes from. All you have to do is type in the catch area number and then you receive information about whether the fish comes from the North Pacific or not. At this point you can take the opportunity to see whether the type of fish is an endangered species or not. Currently, in terms of radio activity, you can eat all products from Japan. Should that change, you can find out in barcoo (and probably in every other news source out there).

By using flavoring agents many fruits get upgraded to a supposedly higher grade fruit. In this way manufacturers benefit from saving money on their purchases, but consumers are being deceived when, for example, cranberries are transformed into cherries or strawberries by using flavoring agents and sugar. Morever, fruit slurry is produced in part by using smaller pieces of fruit. As with meat slurry, fruit purées are combined together, colored and flavored.

Consumer Central Hamburg

Several smoothie and fruit slice manufacturers generate false illusions on the packaging of their products by overrepresenting the more expensive fruits instead. But if you take a look at the small print on the list of ingredients, it’s evident that this fruit often plays a less important role in terms of quantity.

If you scan one of products that have been exposed by the Consumer Central in Hamburg (German), barcoo notifies you and, if applicable, gives you a warning.