Indonesia requests radiation-free certification for Japanese food imports

2011-03-25 01:13:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) -- The Indonesian government on Thursday said it had requested that all food imported from Japan be accompanied with certification that ensures the safety of the imports, the Jakarta Globe reported.

Health Minister Endang Sedyaningsih said all food, both fresh and processed, shipped after March 11 should be accompanied "with radiation free and radioactive substance contamination certification from Japanese authorities."


"There has been some fresh food [shipped] but it has been quarantined for further checks by the National Nuclear Energy Agency," Sedyaningsih said.

"The tests will define whether it is safe or it needs to be destroyed," she added, as cited by the newspaper.

The United Nations on Wednesday announced that some of its agencies pledged to help Japan addressing food safety issues in the ongoing nuclear contamination crisis.

The radioactive contamination was caused by the severe damage sustained at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. On March 11, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake followed by a tsunami killed thousands of people and severely damaged infrastructure in which has been labeled as the worst crisis in Japan's history.

The UN assured that while some foods produced in the Asian country may be contaminated by radionuclides at levels unsuitable for human consumption, there is no evidence that food has been contaminated in any other country.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-25

Will they do the same for japanese foreign aid?

Having just fished a long dead cockroach out of a pack of Chinese green tea I'd argue that a bit of irradiation might be a benefit. I hope Japan remembers just who her friends are when the dust settles.