Thailand to revise regulation on imported food from Japan

BANGKOK, May 28 (TNA) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, has revised its regulation on imported food products from Japan to ensure that there will be no radiation-contaminated-items shipped from high risk Japanese areas--amid global concerns over a nuclear-leak crisis from the Fukushima plant in Japan's Northeast.

FDA Secretary-General Dr. Pipat Yingseri announced the new move on Saturday, insisting that Thailand needs to apply precautionary measures to all imported food products from Japan, after a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the country's northeastern region on March 11, with radiation leaks from the Fukushima nuclear power plant subsequently.

Dr. Pipat said that the revised food safety regulation will be effective soon--after it is published in the Royal Gazette, replacing the existing one which has taken effect since April 11, 2011.

According to the Thai FDA chief, the new regulation on screening more strictly on imported food products at risk of radioactive contamination, excluding additives, flavoring ingredients and preservatives, will particularly focus on those shipped from eight Japanese cities, namely Fukushima, Kumma, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa, requiring that they meet international standards on permitted radiation levels.

However, the Thai FDA has reported on safe levels of radiation from some 332 collected samples of food products imported from Japan. (TNA)