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Australia halts Japan food imports

Australia on Thursday ordered a halt to food imports from areas of Japan near a crisis-hit nuclear plant that has leaked radiation, but insisted the risk to Australian consumers was negligible.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) said a holding order had been put in place for Australia as a precaution on all foods originating from the Japanese prefectures of Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki and Tochigi.

Their major production is in milk, milk products, fresh fruit and vegetables, and both fresh and frozen seaweed and seafood.

The move follows a similar bar by the United States and the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, but does not apply to New Zealand.

FSANZ, a bi-national government agency, said its decision was consistent with other countries.

"FSANZ has requested the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service to institute a holding order for all foods of interest originating from the Japanese prefectures of Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki and Tochigi," it said on its website.

"FSANZ remains of the view that the risk of Australian consumers being exposed to radionuclides in food imported from Japan is negligible."

Milk and milk products and fresh produce are not imported into Australia, while Japanese seaweed and seafood represent only a small proportion (5.5 percent and 0.46 percent respectively) of Australia's total imports of these items.

While a ban is now in place, Australians have been told that Japanese food currently on the shelves is safe, given that it was imported before disaster hit the Pacific nation.

08:31 | |

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