Hong Kong eliminates radiation tests for Japanese food
Hong Kong Center for Food Safety has decided to lift a requirement for Iodine-131 (I-131) radiation testing on Japanese food produced in East side of the country after the Fukushima earthquake.
Six years ago, Hong Kong prohibited imports of vegetables, fruits, and milk products from Japan’s Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba, and Gunma prefectures. Later imports could proceed, but only with certificates issued by Japan attesting that radiation levels for I-131, Caesium (Cs)-134, and Cs-137 did not exceed limits set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission or Codex, informs Food Safety News.
Meantime, Singapore and EU authorities have already dropped the safety measure imposed on Japanese food but they are keeping the requirements regarding the certificates for Cs-134 and 137 and this measure is going to kept also by the Hong Kong Center for Food Safety.
Until now, the tests for radiation was made on daily bases by the Hong Kong authorities and they were not resumed to the food produced from the 5 prefectures but to all the Japanese food.
The latest tests, conducted between 25 and 26 of April, were made on 341 food products, including meat and meat products. They all turned out to respond to the limits set by Codex.
The Center for Food Safety hadn’t found any Japanese food exceeding Codex limits since March 23, 2011, when three samples of radishes, turnips, and spinach were “too hot.”
(Photo source: Green Prophet)
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