No ban on food imports from Japan

The government today said that a blanket ban on import of food items from Japan will not be imposed as the situation does not warrant such a strong action.

In an inter-ministerial meeting held by the commerce ministry,it was decided that a blanket ban was not required because the items tested so far have not been tested positive for contamination from radiation leak. However,“all the food items will be tested on arrival and departure and the situation will be reviewed on a weekly basis,” sources said. Complete safety tests against radiation risk will be done on food items coming from the tsunami-quake hit country.

The sources also said that tests were conducted on items at the time of dispatch from Japan as well as on arrival on Indian ports.

The meeting was attended by officials from the ministry of external affairs,DGFT,Bhabha Atomic Research Centre,Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and FSSAI.