China to up food security ahead of Japan releasing radioactive water

China's Customs authorities will remain highly vigilant regarding the safety of food imports from Japan, and take all necessary measures in a timely manner to ensure the food safety of domestic consumers, said the General Administration of Customs in a statement on Friday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency provided a review report to the Japanese government, granting approval for the country to discharge nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean.

In response to this development, the head of the GAC's bureau of import and export food safety said that Chinese Customs has taken note of the recent review report released by the IAEA.

The official said the report did not fully reflect the opinions of all experts involved in the report and its conclusions did not gain unanimous approval from the experts.

There are still many issues concerning the legitimacy of the ocean discharge, the reliability of purification devices and the completeness of monitoring plans on the part of the Japanese side, the official added.

Since the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011, the GAC has consistently attached great importance to the issue of radioactive contamination in Japanese food imports after the accident, according to the statement.

Chinese Customs authorities have closely monitored the measures taken by the Japanese government in response to this accident and conducted continuous assessments of the radiation risks associated with Japanese food.

In order to safeguard the food safety of Chinese consumers, the GAC has banned the importation of food products from 10 prefectures, including Fukushima, in Japan since 2011. It has also intensified scrutiny and strict verification of accompanying documents for food imports from other regions of Japan, especially aquatic products including edible aquatic animals.

Chinese Customs authorities have strengthened supervision, implemented full inspection on these imported products and continuously enhanced the detection and monitoring of radioactive substances since 2011. These measures are aimed at ensuring the safety of food imports from Japan and preventing the entry of products with potential risks, said the GAC.