(Yicai Global) July 7 -- China’s customs authority has prohibited the import of edible foodstuffs from 10 prefectures in Japan, including Fukushima, to prevent the import of food contaminated with radioactive substances and to safeguard Chinese consumers, after Japan said it plans to start pumping out treated water from the destroyed Fukushima Nuclear Plant this summer.

All food from other regions of Japan, especially seafood, and their accompanying documentation must be more closely inspected to increase the detection rate of radioactive substances and prevent risky products from being imported into China, an official of the Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety at the General Administration of Customs said today.

Japan’s plan to discharge treated radioactive water stored at the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean has become a matter of global concern and has also raised questions in China about the safety of food stuffs imported from Japan.

Although the move was recently approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the decision did not get unanimous approval by experts as there are still many unanswered questions, such as the justification for the discharge, the reliability of the purification devices and the completeness of monitoring, the official said.

China customs will take all necessary measures as the situation unfolds to ensure food safety for Chinese consumers, he added.

Editor: Kim Taylor