China’s salt associations said domestic supply of the condiment is ample after consumers ramped up their buying over concerns about the release of treated wastewater into the ocean from Japan’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The nation can produce 50 million tons of salt that is used in food each year, much higher than annual consumption of around 12 million tons, Wang Xiaoqing, executive chairman of the China Salt Association, told state television on Friday. Supply for domestic demand is secure, he said.
Some consumers rushed to supermarkets and an e-commerce platform to stock up on supplies, in part due to concerns that the Fukushima release would pollute the ocean and affect a source for salt. Chinese producers including Jiang Su Suyan Jingshen Co. jumped on the widespread panic buying.
The reaction from consumers reflects public worries, even though the International Atomic Energy Agency said the move is in line with global safety standards and would have a negligible impact on people and the environment.
The Shandong Salt Industry Association said the coastal province has more than 170,000 tons of stockpiles, equivalent to over six months of consumption for the whole region. Supplies are primarily produced from well mine salt and underground brine, the group said. The region is China’s top producer.
The nation produces almost 90% of its food salt from wells, while sea salt accounts for 10% with lake salt making up a small portion, according to a statement from China National Salt Industry Corp. late Thursday.