1 Health officials said Friday they are investigating why a fungicide that should have been cleaned off was found on apples imported from the United States.
2 In a random sampling of apples purchased at shops in the Tokyo area, two apples imported from Washington State were found to have trace amounts of the fungicide, health officials said.
3 'This is not a safety issue by any means,' said U.S. embassy spokesman Bill Morgan. 'It's a technical one. This fungicide is also commonly used by farmers in Japan.'
4 Several stores in Tokyo that stocked apples packed by Apple King, a packer in Yakimo, Washington state, were voluntarily recalling the apples Friday because of possible health hazards, a city official said.
5 But a spokesman for Japan's largest supermarket chain, Daiei Inc., said the company has no plans to remove U.S. apples from its shelves.
6 'We buy directly from reliable packers, and do our own product quality control,' said Haruko Toyama of Daiei.
7 She added that last month the chain has sold 45,000 cases, each one 19 kilograms (42 pounds), of U.S.-grown apples.
8 The chemical is used by both Japanese and American farmers while growing the apples, but is supposed to be removed after the apples are harvested.
9 The amounts found on the apples, both Golden Delicious from Washington State, would not have a harmful effect on humans, said Satoshi Takaya of the Food and Health division at the Health Ministry.
10 The ministry has asked the U.S. exporter, through the U.S. embassy in Tokyo, to explain why the chemical was not washed from the apples.
11 After years of U.S. efforts, American apples went on sale Japan on Jan. 10. The U.S. imports were allowed on the condition that American growers follow Japan's rigorous safety procedures.
12 Of the two apples with the fungicide, one had 0.12 parts per million of the chemical, and the other had 0.1 ppm.
13 In Japan, farmers are allowed to use up to 3.0 ppm of the chemical in cultivation, but it must be removed after harvest.
14 A total of 6,116 tons of U.S.-grown apples were imported to Japan last month and sold across Japan, according to the Japanese agriculture ministry figures. U.S. growers said they hope to ship an additional 9,000 tons of apples in the next two months.
15 Japan ostensibly opened its apple market to foreign imports in 1971, but in practice banned most imports with a tangle of red tape.

Health officials said Friday they are investigating why a fungicide that should have been cleaned off was found on apples imported from the United States .
investigating why a fungicide
Why is it important to investigate a fungicide?