Imported Japanese foods in Bangkok radiation free: Bangkok Governor

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Imported Japanese foods in Bangkok radiation free: Bangkok Governor
TNA 2011-04-07

BANGKOK, April 7 -- Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra on Thursday confirmed that food products in the capital imported from Japan remain free of radiation contamination.

Mr Sukhumbhand said food items -- fresh foods and ingredients from Japan -- are free of radioactive contamination as the products were strictly monitored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in collaboration with the Office of Atoms for Peace.

The municipal governor spoke to reporters after inspecting Isetan, a Japanese department store, at CentralWorld complex in Bangkok as it imported many products from Japan.

Mr Sukhumbhand said he was notified by Isetan executives that the store stockpiles products for six months and the present stocks were imported in January.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Adminstration (BMA) is trying to downplay fears among consumers on possible radioactive contamination in foods imported from Japan following the radiation leakage from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant damaged by last month's strong earthquake and tsunami.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Dr Malinee Sukavejworakit said the BMA surveyed some 600 shops and restaurants importing food items from Japan, using a Geiger-Muller counter Portable Survey Metre, a portable radiation detector, and found no radioactive contamination over the standard level and that consumers could be assured that Japanese foods in Bangkok are safe to eat.

Meanwhile, Isetan executive Chanisa phanmanmas said there are alternate sources of foods that the company is using to import food products to replace those normally imported from Japan.

She said current stocks of imported food items will last until July, and that most have been imported from Kyushu Island in the South of Japan. (MCOT online news).