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A look at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website Thursday showed that “Import Alert 99-33,” which prohibits the importation of certain Japanese items due to radioactive contamination, remains in effect. (FDA website screenshot)

While the US expressed its support for the Japanese government’s decision to release radioactively contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, it has maintained a ban on imports of farming and seafood products from the region near the site for over 10 years since the disaster in March 2011.

A look at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website Thursday showed that “Import Alert 99-33,” which prohibits the importation of certain Japanese items due to radioactive contamination, remains in effect.

First issued in March 2011, shortly after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disease, the alert was renewed on March 4 of this year — around 40 days before the Japanese government decided to dump the contaminated water.

The alert named specific regions that are subject to import bans and over 100 types of farming and fishing product. A total of 14 regions are named, including the prefectures of Fukushima, Aomori, Chiba, Gunma and Ibaraki.

For each region, a detailed list of prohibited items is provided. They include farming products such as milk, vegetables, mushrooms and beef, as well as seafood products such as salmon and eel.

The alert also contains detailed information about the Japanese government’s imposition and removal of prohibitions on the circulation of farming and fishing products. The items include rockfish, Pacific cod and clams.

“Divisions may detain, without physical examination, the specified products from firms [in Fukushima and other prefectures],” the FDA said in the alert. Based on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the FDA’s import alert means that corresponding items may be detained and rejected for importation without examination.

“FDA and the Japanese government will continue to collaborate to ensure products from the affected prefectures do not pose a health risk to US consumers,” the alert said.

“FDA will continue monitoring the public health risks due to radionuclide contamination, and when appropriate will deactivate the Import Alert and resume routine coverage of entries,” it added.

By Choi Hyun-june, staff reporter

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