In a bizarrely inaccurate statement, Owen Roberts, a public relations-type for the University of Guelph in Canada, wrote in the local paper on Monday after his latest junket to a conference for agricultural journalists in Japan that,

"The Japanese government is trying to solve the food safety and self-sufficiency problems in one clean sweep by convincing consumers that the only safe food product is locally grown. Unfortunately they’ve experienced a few hiccups along the way — an E. coli outbreak in 1996, a foot and mouth problem in 2000, BSE in 2001, and an "inappropriate" food labelling problem in 2002.

"Even so, nobody in Japan ever died from any of these scares. So why are the Japanese so paranoid?"

Huh?

In the summer of 1996, over 9,500 Japanese, largely schoolchildren, were stricken with E. coli O157:H7 and 12 were killed, most likely linked to the consumption of raw radish sprouts.

In July, 2000, an outbreak of Staphylococcus aureu in Snow Brand milk sickened 14,700 after workers failed to clean factory pipes for weeks.

In Aug. 2002, five elderly patients died from E. coli O157:H7 linked to food served at a nursing home.

There have been dozens of other outbreaks of foodborne illness  in Japan — and in every other country — involving not only death but countless untold illnesses. Healthy skepticism seems warranted. Especially of PR-types.