Amid concerns over the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant, Malaysia said that it will closely inspect all high-risk food products imported from Japan, even as some members of the public have expressed worries over food safety issues.
In a statement on Wednesday (Aug 23), Malaysia’s Director-General of Health Dr Muhammad Radzi Bin Abu Hassan said: “The Ministry of Health will impose a Level 4 (Surveillance) inspection at the country’s entry points on high-risk food products imported from Japan for the analysis of radioactive material content.”
Japan on Thursday began releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant, some 12 years after one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents.
Dr Radzi had earlier said that the release of the treated wastewater is in accordance with Japanese safety standards and has received approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in July.
He also sought to assure the public that Malaysia’s health ministry monitors activities at the country’s entry points and local markets to ensure that food safety is guaranteed.
According to him, following the nuclear plant explosion in Fukushima in 2011, the Ministry of Health – through the Food Safety and Quality Division – monitored food products imported from Japan from May 2011 until April 2012.
Wary of the news of treated wastewater being released from Fukushima into the ocean, Malaysians have expressed concerns over food safety issues, particularly over seafood imported from Japan.
