Russian consumer health watchdog tightens radiation checks on fish products imported from Japan

MOSCOW. July 7 (Interfax) -The Russian consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has tightened supervision over fish and seafood produced in Japan after reports about the country planning to begin dumping radioactive water previously used at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the Pacific coast of Japan into the ocean.

"In order to prevent water bio-resources and food produced of them in Japan, including fish, fish products, seafood, etc., with a higher concentration of radionuclides from flowing into the territory of the Russian Federation, Rospotrebnadzor has ordered its territorial departments to ramp up sanitary and quarantine controls as regards the importation of said goods and tighten turnover control," the Russian regulator told reporters.

"According to information reported by the media, Japan has revealed the intent to begin dumping radioactive water previously used in cooling reactors at Japan's Fukushima One nuclear power plant into the ocean," it said.

Currently, the importation of food products from Japan is permitted if there is a declaration issued by a duly authorized Japanese competent body to certify that concentrations of radioactive substances in these products are lower than normative levels stipulated under applicable laws. A certificate of radioactive cesium content must be attached to the declaration, the watchdog said.