India has banned import of food articles from Japan for three months with immediate effect, the Government said in a statement. The ban will remain till such time that the radiation hazard has subsided to acceptable limits.
India mainly imports processed foods in small quantities from Japan. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in a recent meeting with experts from Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research reviewed the situation arising out of nuclear disaster in Japan.
“After detailed discussions, it was concluded that since the radiation is spreading/expanding horizontally in other parts of Japan, it may result in further radioactive contamination in the supply chain of food exports from Japan,” the statement said.