An official from the Saudi Food Drug Authority (SFDA) told Arab News on Tuesday that action was being taken in line with the authority’s efforts to monitor and control food products imported into the Kingdom to ensure they are safe for consumption. He said the SFDA has been following up on reports of Japanese food products polluted by radiation due to leakage from nuclear reactors in the Fukushima area after the earthquake hit them on March 11.
Official Japanese reports revealed some food produced in Japan such as milk, green onions and spinach were polluted by radiation.
Health authorities around the world have expressed concern over agricultural products being potentially exposed to radiation in Japan after it was confirmed the Fukushima Daiichi plant was leaking. The SFDA, in a statement on Monday, assured consumers that all food imports from Japan available in the local markets prior to the accident were safe and fit for consumption.
Imports of Japanese food products are minimal, except for the popular nut snacks freely available in food stores in the Kingdom.
“However, the SFDA is inspecting all foods imported from Japan after the catastrophe to ensure they are safe,” the official said.
He added that the authority would continue to monitor news and updates from Japan and communicate with international bodies concerned as well as gather information on the possible contamination of food.
Japan’s neighboring countries such as Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and parts of China, have begun screening imported Japanese food for radiation. Italy has banned all Japanese food imports outright. The European Union has also issued an alert recommending radiation checks on all imports that have come out of Japan since March 15.
Meanwhile, workers reconnected power lines to all six reactor units at the radiation-leaking nuclear plant Tuesday, its operator said, marking a significant step in bringing the overheated complex under control.
In making an announcement after days of anxious waiting by the public, Tokyo Electric Power Co. cautioned that much work needed to be done before the electricity can be turned on. Workers are checking all additional equipment for damage to make sure cooling systems can be safely operated, Tokyo Electric said.
In another advance, emergency crews dumped 18 tons of seawater into a nearly boiling storage pool holding spent nuclear fuel, cooling it to 50 degrees Celsius, Japan’s nuclear safety agency said.
Steam, possibly carrying radioactive elements, had been rising for two days from the reactor building, and the move lessens the chances that more radiation will seep into the air.
Added up, the power lines and concerted dousing bring authorities closer to ending a nuclear crisis that has complicated the government’s response to the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan’s northeast coast 11 days ago.
