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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assured the public that it is developing new steps to prevent food imports from Japan contaminated with radiation from reaching consumers.
“Based on current information, there is no risk to the US food supply,” said the agency. “FDA is closely monitoring the situation in Japan and is working with the Japanese government and other US agencies to continue to ensure that imported food remains safe.”
As part of its investigation, the FDA is gathering data on all FDA regulated food products imported from Japan, such as where they are grown, harvested or manufactured, so the agency can determine if they may pose a risk to US consumers in the future. Its efforts may then involve greater and targeted product sampling at the border.
Some 60 per cent of all products imported from Japan are foods; mainly seafood, snack foods and processed fruits and vegetables, the FDA told.
As a result of the catastrophes occurring at Fukushima's Daiichi nuclear power station and the release of radioactivity into the environment, FDA considers export activity “severely limited” and is monitoring all records for Japan to decide when importation will resume and will run surveillance to ensure safety.
The FDA as well communicated that it would examine foods and raw ingredients labelled as having come from Japan or having passed through there at the time of the nuclear disaster.
Regarding fish and seafood, the FDA believes their safety will remain unchanged.
“The great quantity of water in the Pacific Ocean rapidly and effectively dilutes radioactive material, so fish and seafood are likely to be unaffected. However, FDA is taking all steps to evaluate and measure any contamination in fish presented for import into the US,” the agency reported.
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