PETALING JAYA: Ahead of the release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean starting today, the Health Ministry says it will impose a Level 4 (Surveillance) inspection on high-risk food products imported from Japan.
“The inspections, which will be for analysis of radioactive material content, will be done at international entry points into the country,” Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said in a statement yesterday.
He noted that Japan had confirmed that the release of the treated radioactive wastewater is in accordance with Japanese safety standards that will be implemented in stages and had received approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency on July 4.
He also acknowledged that the issue had received various reactions from several countries in the Pacific Ocean.
“Following the announcement by the Japanese authorities on the release of treated radioactive wastewater starting Aug 24, the Health Ministry will be conducting a Level 4 (Surveillance) inspection on high-risk food products imported from Japan for the analysis of radioactive material content,” he said.
Based on Health Ministry data, from 2022 to June 2023, fish and fish-based products are among the highest imported products from Japan, followed by fruits, vegetable products and processed food and beverages with a total value of over RM880mil.
In Malaysia, radionuclide (atoms with excessive energy) contamination is controlled under Regulation 37 of the Food Regulations 1985.
Meanwhile, the Codex international standard has issued the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed, CXS 193-1995, as a guide for the control of radionuclide contamination in food.
Dr Muhammad Radzi said the ministry, through the Food Safety and Quality Division, monitored food products imported from Japan from May 2011 to April 2012 following the tsunami-triggered nuclear plant meltdown in Fukushima in 2011.
“A special monitoring programme was also carried out in 2019 where a total of 102 samples were analysed and all samples were found not to exceed the prescribed rate,” he said.
The announcement by the Japanese government on the water release had prompted an angry response from China and South Korea and even partial import bans on Japanese seafood by Hong Kong and Macau.
The first batch of water that will be released in the course of 17 days starting today will total 7,800 cubic metres, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company, the plant operator.
