Reconstraction AgencyReconstraction Agency 復興庁
  • Text Size
Menu
Close
Menu
Close

Progress to Date

KV_progresstodate.jpg

Food Safety

Japan remains committed to ensuring a safe environment for all of its residents and visitors. Utilizing lessons learned during post-disaster revitalization, Japan has further developed and implemented leading global food safety standards to restore public confidence in food grown and consumed in Japan.

Important progress has been made in ensuring that the public is informed of food safety initiatives, including stricter standards around radionuclides in food products and strengthened screening processes, through collaboration between the private sector and the central and local governments.

On April 1, 2012, Japan enforced the new limits of radioactive cesium in food products that saw the permissible dose reduced from 5mSv to 1mSv per year1. This decision was based upon the Food Safety Commission's assessment derived from scientific findings from more than 3,300 domestic and international reports on the health impact of radiation, including from UNSCEAR, ICRP and WHO. For most foods, this means the new limit is one-fifth of the previous limits, while the figure has been cut to one-twentieth in the case of drinking water. A new 'infant food'category has also been created to protect those who are most vulnerable.


 figure09_PtD.gif

In addition, as outlined below, these efforts ensure that the levels of radioactive cesium permitted in food products in Japan are significantly lower than those allowed in other major countries and put the country far ahead of some of the strictest recommendations by international bodies.

figure10_PtD.gif 

Reassured by such efforts, public concern over the safety of Japanese food products is gradually diminishing and as a result, many countries have now lifted or eased restrictions on the importation of foods from Japan that were put in place in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. For example, in 2012, 900kg of peaches and 360kg of apples were exported from Fukushima prefecture to Thailand after undergoing thorough inspection for radiation, and efforts are underway to grow exports of a variety of farm products.

  • In October 2012, the European Union decided to substantially ease import restrictions on food products and animal feed from 11 prefectures based on scientific data imposed after the March 2011 crisis. Other countries have also taken steps to ease regulations.
  • On December 7, Brazil lifted import restrictions from most prefectures, while only requiring certification from food produced in Fukushima.
  • On March 1 2013, Malaysia completely lifted radionuclide-related restrictions on food products from Japan, which makes the total number of 10 countries (Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Columbia, Guinea, Myanmar, Malaysia and Serbia) which have taken the same measure.

For more information, click here to visit the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' webpage. (Japanese only)

To learn more about Japanese food, please visit here.

 1 For further information on the new standards, please visit: www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/2011eq/dl/new_standard.pdf

 

PageTop