Concerns Over Japanese Sea Squirt Imports... MFDS Maintains Ban on Seafood from 8 Prefectures Near Fukushima

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 31st that, in response to recent concerns about the import of seafood such as sea squirts from Japan, import bans are currently in place on seafood from 8 prefectures near Fukushima and 27 agricultural products from 15 prefectures, and these products are not being imported at this time.

The current import ban related to radiation concerns on Japanese food applies to all seafood from Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, and Chiba prefectures, as well as 27 agricultural and marine products including rice, mushrooms, bracken, and soybeans from these 8 prefectures plus Kanagawa, Nagano, Saitama, Yamanashi, Shizuoka, Niigata, and Yamagata prefectures.

The Ministry also conducts radiation tests for cesium and other radioactive substances on every import of Japanese food, and if even trace amounts are detected, additional radionuclide certificates for substances such as strontium are required. The radiation testing equipment has been upgraded to increase the testing time from the previous 1,800 seconds to 10,000 seconds to enhance precision.

The Ministry emphasized that "the radiation safety management of Japanese food is being conducted meticulously."