Restrictions on food from Japan

28 March 2011

The European Commission has published Implementing Regulation 297/2011 imposing special conditions governing the import of feed and food originating in or consigned from Japan following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station. Product originating from the prefectures of Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Miyagi, Yamagata, Niigata, Nagano, Yamanashi, Saitama, Tokyo and Chiba may not contain levels of the radionuclides iodine-131, caesium-134 and caesium-137 above the maximum levels provided for in the relevant European Regulations. An attestation from the Japanese authorities needs to accompany the product, and border inspection staff will test at least 10% of Japanese imports for radioactive contamination, and at least 20% of imports from the 12 affected prefectures. The costs of these checks will be borne by the food business operator.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 297/2011 is available here: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:080:0005:0008:EN:PDF