The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday reported that radioactive residue had been detected in a shipment of sliced mushrooms imported from Japan, marking the first such instance of a Japanese food product being found to contain such traces this year.
Cesium-137 was detected at a level of 7.9 becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg) in the shipment of sliced mushrooms imported from Shizuoka Prefecture, which was sent for testing on Feb. 29.
FDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said that while the detected amount was within the legal limit of 100Bq/kg, the FDA engaged in “ethical persuasion” with the importer, which subsequently decided not to import the goods.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
Under the regulations, the maximum permitted levels for cesium-134 and cesium-137 combined are 10Bq/kg in beverages and packaged drinking water, 50Bq/kg in baby food and formula, and 100Bq/kg in other food products.
According to data provided by the FDA, from March 15, 2011, to March 17 a total of 228,142 shipments of food imported from Japan were tested. Of these, 254 included samples found to contain trace amounts of radiation, but all were within the legal limits set by Taiwanese and Japanese authorities.
Following the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011, Taiwan banned imports from the Japanese prefectures of Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, Ibaraki and Chiba for 11 years due to radiation contamination fears.
On Feb. 21, 2022, Taiwan replaced its blanket ban with a testing and certification system for imports of certain items from those and neighboring prefectures, with results reported weekly by the FDA.
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