Salt radiation rumors fuel widespread panic buying in China 
Radiation leaks caused by the explosion happened on reactors of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan after last Friday’s devastating tsunami and earthquake. As neighbors, Chinese public is very concerning about whether the leak of radiation would affect China. Among these concerns, salt radiation rumors fuel widespread panic buying in China. Shanghai, Tian Jin, Hangzhou among other cities have run out of salt. Following the nuclear crisis in Japan, Shanghai residents have scrambled to buy table salt fearing that future stock might be contaminated. Another SMS has been circulating the city over the last 24 hours, warning people to stock up on the pantry staple. 
Anthony Zhao, a Shanghai Chef and restaurant consultant, told City Weekend that he suspects that this contamination warning is a scare. However, suppliers have already increased prices. "Usually we're buying salt at around RMB50 a box, but today people are selling it for more than RMB500 and up," he said. In a Reuters report on Tuesday, experts were quoted as saying that the radioactive materials spewed into the air by Japan’s quake-crippled nuclear plant might contaminate food and water resources. This panic buying is quickly spreading across Asia and local residents are speculating that water could be the next item to go. China National Salt Industry Corp. (CNSIC) on Thursday said China has rich salt reserves to meet people's demand and consumers need not panic to hoard salt. |
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