***********************************************************
Three tea leaf samples and one tea bag sample imported from Japan and collected at import level for radiation testing have been found to have low levels of radioactivity, a spokesman for the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said today (March 20). However, there is no health concern in consuming the products concerned.
Product details are as follows:
Product name: Summer Harvested KONACHA TOKUJO (Tea leaves)
Place of origin: Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Packing size: 100 grams
Best before date: February 19, 2016
Product name: Spring Harvested SENCHA SAIJO (Tea leaves)
Place of origin: Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Packing size: 100 grams
Best before date: February 19, 2016
Product name: TSUBOICHI (Tea leaves)
Place of origin: Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Packing size: 100 grams
Best before date: January 28, 2015
Product name: YAMAKAEN Japanese Green-Tea Tea Bag
Place of origin: Tokyo, Japan
Packing size: 80 X 5 grams
Best before date: February 15, 2016
"The product samples were collected at import level for radiation testing today. The test results showed that low levels of radioactive substances, Caesium-134 (Cs-134) (between 9 and 18 Bq/kg), and Caesium-137 (Cs-137) (between 14 and 48 Bq/kg), were detected. However, there is no health concern consuming these products. The guideline levels of the Codex Alimentarius Commission are 1 000 Bq/kg," he said.
The CFS will liaise with the importers concerned to follow up on the case. None of the above mentioned products have entered the local market.
In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear power plant incident, the CFS has enhanced radiation testing on food imported from Japan at import, wholesale and retail levels since March 12, 2011.
The CFS will continue to closely monitor information from Japan as well as the radiation testing results of Japanese food products in Hong Kong and elsewhere. It will review and adjust, if necessary, the surveillance strategy on food products imported from Japan in a timely manner, making reference to the recommendations of international authorities, to safeguard food safety.
Results of the food surveillance on Japanese food are uploaded to the CFS website daily: www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html.
Ends/Thursday, March 20, 2014
Issued at HKT 21:52
NNNN
