Food from Japan nuclear radiation zones found in Chinese market

Yang Guang China Plus Published: 2017-03-16 19:44:58
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Food produced from Japanese regions affected by nuclear radiation - including rice, cereal and milk products - have entered the Chinese market, according to a CCTV report on its annual 3.15 quality investigations program Wednesday

According to CCTV, some Japanese food sold in Muji stores, an international Japanese product chain, is packed with Chinese labels vaguely marked with Japan as its origin but underneath showing the Tokyo Prefecture as the food source.

A drink product in a Muji store in Shenzhen was found originating from Tokyo Prefecture, which is prohibited from food import by China for nuclear radiation concerns. [Photo: CCTV]

A drink product in a Muji store in Shenzhen was found originating from Tokyo Prefecture, which is prohibited from food import by China for nuclear radiation concerns. [Photo: cctv]

A Japanese rice product was also found in a Chinese supermarket labelled as from Japan's Hokkaido in Chinese but actually originating from Niigata Prefecture, which is located right within the nuclear radiation area.

The original information of the product is covered by a Chinese label indicating a different food origin. [Photo: CCTV]

The original information of the product is covered by a Chinese label indicating a different food origin. [Photo: cctv]

Food from both places, along with eight other nuclear radiation affected regions has been banned from import by the Chinese government since 2011.

An e-commerce retailer based in Shenzhen is reportedly the main provider of the Japanese food from radioactive contamination regions.

Nearly 20 thousand packages of cereal produced from nuclear radiation areas were found in one of the company's warehouse in Tianjin in February. The cereal products were also discovered displayed on its affiliated website. The products in question is also said to be smuggled into China.


A Carrefour supermarket in Beijing [File photo: baidu.com]

A Carrefour supermarket in Beijing [File photo: baidu.com]

Eighteen supermarket chains in Beijing including Walmart, Carrefour have reportedly checked their shelves and did not find illegally imported Japanese food on sale. Seven-Eleven in Beijing announced that all the Japanese imported food had been removed.

Muji, however, say they are still operating normally claiming that all their food is legally imported and is harmless.

The exposed products are still found in a Muji store in Nanjing on Wednesday. [Photo: Jinan Times]

The exposed products are still on sale in a Muji store in Jinan on Wednesday. [Photo: Jinan Times]

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, urged the Japanese government to give transparent and clear information about radiation leakage at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying [File photo: cctv]

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying [File photo: cctv]

She also called the Japanese side to not harm the health of people of other countries and protect maritime environment at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

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