Chinese consumers told not to hoard salt after Tokyo releases nuclear-contaminated wastewater

(ECNS) -- China National Salt Industry Group (CNSIG), a state-owned enterprise, urged consumers Thursday not to hoard salt after Tokyo Electric Power Company started to release nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean early.

Salt has been snapped up in some regional markets, and some e-commerce and supermarket channels are out of stock, CNSIG said in a statement.

“We are working overtime in production and distribution to fully ensure the salt supply,” it said, calling for consumers to be rational.

At present, rock salt accounts for 87 percent of China's edible salt products, while sea salt accounts for 10 percent and lake salt for three percent. Both rock salt and lake salt production will not be affected by the nuclear contaminated water from Japan, said CNSIG.

The company stressed that as the only state-owned enterprise in China's salt industry, the annual salt production capacity of the group could reach 10 million metric tons, with the proportion of rock salt, lake salt, and sea salt accounting for 95 percent, 4 percent, and 1 percent, respectively.

“CNSIG has a complete layout of production and distribution throughout the country, and the salt reserves and supplies are sufficient,” it said.