Singapore halts food imports from more Japanese prefectures

Singapore: Singapore suspended imports of fruit and vegetables from more Japanese prefectures after authorities detected radiation in two new food samples from the disaster-struck country.

The city-state's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority earlier stopped food imports from six Japanese prefectures following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the ongoing nuclear threat from the Fukushima power plant on Japan's northeastern coast.

In a statement issued late Saturday, Singapore's food watchdog agency said that radioactive contaminants were also found in imported vegetable samples from the prefectures of Kanagawa and Tokyo. In addition, Japanese authorities had reported high radioactivity levels in some vegetables from Saitama, it said.

'In view of the latest developments, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority will extend its suspension on the import of fruits and vegetables to include the prefectures of Kanagawa, Tokyo and Saitama,' said the food regulator.

The entire Kanto region of Japan, including greater Tokyo, was now suspended from exporting fruits and vegetables to Singapore, the authority said, noting that there was no cause for alarm for consumers because the affected food shipments had not been released for sale.

Singapore stands alongside the US, China, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong in restricting food imports from Japan.