April 6, 2011
Japan feed exports shaken by radiation rumours
More countries have begun to worry about feed products imported from Japan as the radiation crisis of the Fukushima plants remains unresolved.
Canada has implemented more stringent screening measures on Japanese imports to include all food and animal feed products from areas affected by Japan''s present nuclear crisis.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency stated that it needs documentation showing the safety of food and feed products before it will approve their entry into Canada.
The federal agency has also started checking radiation levels of Japanese products.
Other countries have also imposed restrictions, and Russia''s food safety body said on Friday (Apr 1) that it may bar seafood from areas near the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The Dutch Food Inspection Agency is taking the precaution to test all products that enter the Netherlands from Japan for radiation.
In the EU, maximum levels of radiation in food and feed have been put into legislation through the Euratom regulation 2218/89 since 1989.
The European Commission requires member states to control imports from Japan. EU countries have to randomly sample and control food and feed ingredients imported from Japan.
Radiation levels higher than the safe levels have been found in some kinds of vegetables from the Fukushima area in northeast Japan, where a six-reactor nuclear plant was battered by a temblor and tsunami on March 11, the Japanese government said.
Japan has discontinued shipments of vegetables and milk from near the plant.