FDA restricts Japanese food imports
The US has joined a growing list of countries who have imposed restrictions on the import of Japanese food over fears of nuclear contamination.
The Food and Drink Administration (FDA) has restricted the import of dairy, vegetable and fruit products into the US from the four northern prefectures of Japan affected by radiation leaks from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.
Imports from the Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures “will be detained upon entry into the United States” and then tested for contamination, the FDA said.
If found free from radiation, the foods will then be released.
Spinach and the leafy brassica kakina from these regions and milk from Fukushima will be banned completely, probably based on the possibility that shipments of these vegetables may have been made from affected areas by non-regulated farms.
Other food products from this area, including seafood, will also be tested and the FDA will ramp up checks on seafood from across Japan.
Other countries to impose restrictions on Japanese imports include Australia, China and the EU.
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