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The Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food), Mrs Marion Lai, met with the Senior Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Mr Nobutaka Tsutsui, this afternoon (August 11) to discuss issues relating to the safety of food imports from Japan.
During the meeting, Mr Tsutsui briefed Mrs Lai on the latest food safety control measures taken by the Japanese Government to contain radioactive contamination. He emphasised that the Japanese Government attaches great importance to ensuring the safety of food exported to Hong Kong.
In view of the long-lasting effect of radiation on the food chain, Mrs Lai told her Japanese counterpart that it was important to conduct proactive monitoring of possible food contamination at source. Hong Kong, as a major importer of Japanese seafood and fresh produce, will continue to adopt appropriate surveillance measures according to risk analysis to ensure food safety.
"Such surveillance is for public health reasons. A robust surveillance framework, both at the exporting and importing ends, will help restore public confidence in consuming Japanese food available in the market," said Mrs Lai.
"According to our current regime, we have prohibited imports of fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba and Gunma. Imports of game, meat, poultry, poultry eggs and aquatic products from these five prefectures will need to be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the competent authority of Japan certifying that the radiation levels of Iodine and Caesium do not exceed the standards laid down by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in the Guideline Levels for Radionuclides in Foods Contaminated following a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. Our Centre for Food Safety is working with the Japanese authorities on the requirements of the health certificate," Mrs Lai added.
It was agreed in the meeting that both governments should continue to maintain effective and close communication to keep each other abreast of the latest development.
Ends/Thursday, August 11, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:26
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