Korea will screen all food products originating from or shipped through Japan, as the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant continues.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration said yesterday that it would expand its screening process to cover imported food products that pass through Japan on their way to Korea, in addition to Japanese-made products. The KFDA said screening would be done on dried, chilled or frozen agricultural products, processed foods, food additives and health products.

Radiation testing began on March 14 for fresh produce from Japan.

The KFDA initially said it would be screening for cesium 134 and cesium 137, but added iodine 131 to the list on Monday. All radioactive isotopes can affect human cells and cause health problems in the case of prolonged exposure.

“The expansion of the screening process was decided after it was announced that radiation levels were detected in Japan’s agricultural products and tap water,” the KFDA said. “It is a preventive measure to strengthen screening of imported products from Japan and other countries.” Similar measures are being taken in several European countries and the United States.

According to the KFDA, over 40 million kilograms (44,092 tons) of processed foods, 12 million kilograms of food additives, 137,172 kilograms of agricultural products and 413,171 kilograms of health products were imported from Japan in 2010.

The KFDA’s decision came after radioactivity was detected in Japanese food products. The agency found 54,000 becquerel per kilogram of spinach grown in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. That level of radiation is 27 times the limit set by the Japanese government under its food sanitation laws.

High iodine levels were also found in spinach grown in Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture, at 24,000 becquerel per kilogram. The same spinach was also found to have cesium levels of 690 becquerel per kilogram, 190 times over the legal limit. Ibaraki Gov. Masaru Hashimoto ordered the halt of spinach shipments from the prefecture, but said the produce posed no risk to humans.

The Japanese government also announced Sunday that iodine-contaminated milk had been found in Fukushima Prefecture and would be taken off the market.

Because of contamination fears, imports of Japanese aquatic and agricultural products have fallen, according to the Korea Customs Service. An average of $2.8 million worth of aquatic products were imported from Japan every day from March 14 to 18, a 20 percent decrease from $3.4 million per day before the earthquake.

After new reports of radiation in Japanese produce, only $255,000 worth of aquatic products were imported from March 19 to 20, less than half the average amount.

Tofu and seed onion imports from Japan were stopped entirely after the earthquake. Japan previously accounted for more than 80 percent of all imports of tofu and seed onions.

On the other hand, exports to Japan of petrochemical goods jumped to $370 million this month as of Sunday, a 161 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Korean imports are replacing Japanese petrochemical products after many of the country’s plants were shut down following the earthquake.


By Christine Kim [christine.kim@joongang.co.kr]