HK to ban food import from five Japanese prefectures

HONG KONG - Hong Kong will impose a ban on diary products, vegetables and fruit from Japan's Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma and Fukushima Prefectures from noon of March 24, after finding excessive radiation from the three food samples.

Under Secretary for Food & Health professor Gabriel Leung said the ban was ordered after two turnips and a spinach sample arriving in two consignments from Japan Wednesday were confirmed to be irradiated by up to 10 times the international legal level.

He said the radiation dose on an adult consuming the products for a year would equal that of taking up to 10 chest x-rays.

Director of Food & Environmental Hygiene Clement Leung said all diary products, vegetables and fruit harvested or produced in the five prefectures will not be allowed to enter Hong Kong unless they are certified and verified by the Japanese government to be safe according to international standards.

The order will be gazetted Thursday and become effective from Thursday noon. Those who violate the order could face a maximum penalty of HK$100,000 of fine and 12 months in jail.

As of Wednesday 2 pm, a total of 228 batches of fresh food imported from Japan have been checked for their radiation levels.

Professor Leung said the test results show the measures taken by the Government on imported Japanese products are effective. Authorities will continue the radiation tests on Japanese food imports, including pre-packed and processed items.