The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) said last week that no contaminated food from Japan will reach New Zealand, according to Xinhua News.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was badly damaged after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that devastated the northeast coast of Japan on March 11.
The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency said the overall situation at the facility remains very serious and the source of radiation still being emitted has not been identified.
Radiation has been found in food, milk, tap water and the Pacific Ocean, although Japan and experts insist levels are still far from dangerous to humans.
MAF spokesperson David Crowe said the little food New Zealand imports from Japan is mostly processed, such as sake, soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.
Crowe said the ministry is confident that the processes Japanese food safety authorities have in place are adequate and New Zealand’ s monitoring systems will be stepped up if it is deemed necessary. – Source: Xinhua News
