The Food Safety of Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today stated that in line with European Union measures to limit possible risks to food safety, Ireland will be adopting controls on imports of food and feed from certain localities* in Japan, where production could be affected by the incident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

According to Prof Alan Reilly, Chief Executive, FSAI, at a meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, EU Member States endorsed a Commission proposal to impose special import conditions.  A new regulation will apply to all feedstuffs and foodstuffs originating in or consigned from Japan, with the exclusion of products which have been harvested and/or processed before 11 March 2011.

“A range of measures will apply to all feed and food originating in or consigned from 12 localities of Japan, including the four most affected by the accident.  All products from these localities will have to be tested before leaving Japan and will be subject to random testing in the EU.  Feed and food products from the remaining 35 localities will have to be accompanied by a declaration stating the locality of origin and will be randomly tested upon arrival in the EU.  Ireland has very few direct imports from Japan and will be aligned with other Member States in relation to our monitoring of these foodstuffs,” says Prof Reilly. 
 
The FSAI states that the regulation adopted at EU level stipulates that each consignment of food or feed from Japan has to be accompanied by a declaration – to be provided by the Japanese authorities – attesting that the product does not contain levels of radionuclides that exceed the EU's maximum permitted levels.  Importers into Ireland are required to notify the FSAI or the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine two days before the arrival of each consignment of food and feed from Japan.  Feed and food products that were harvested or processed before 11 March 2011 are not affected by the provisions of this regulation.  Nevertheless, these products from all of Japan's territory would have to be accompanied by a declaration stating clearly that they were harvested/ processed before 11 March 2011.

Notes to Editor:

*Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Miyagi, Yamagata, Niigata, Nagano, Yamanashi, Saitama, Tokyo and Chiba

Regulation Requirements in relation to food and feed harvested/produced after 11March 2011:

• All food of animal origin is to be introduced through a Border Inspection Post
• All food of non-animal origin is to be introduced through a Designated Point of Entry (as defined by Regulation 669/2009)
• Each consignment must be accompanied by a declaration that the food was either harvested and/or produced before 11 March 2011; originated in an area other than the prefectures in and around the nuclear plant (areas specified in the Regulation) or originated in the prefectures in and around the nuclear plant. In the case of the latter it must be accompanied by an analytical certificate stating that the product does not contain  levels of radionuclides iodine-131, caesium-134 and caesium-137 above the maximum levels provided for in Council Regulation 3954/87 and Commission Regulation 770/90
• Model of declaration set out in the Annex
• Each consignment must have a unique identifying code
• Prior notification to competent authority at least 2 working days before arrival at a Border Inspection Post / Designated Port of Entry
• Documentary checks on all consignments
• Identity and physical checks on 10% of products originated in the prefectures in and around the nuclear plant
• Identity and physical checks on 20% of products originated in an area other than the prefectures in and around the nuclear plant
• Consignments to be kept under official control for a max of 5 working days pending the availability of results of laboratory analysis
• Release for free circulation subject to the presentation by the food business operator / representative to the customs authorities of the declaration endorsed by the competent authority at the Border Inspection Post / Designated Point of Entry giving evidence that the required controls have been carried out and the results of any physical checks carried out were favorable
• Costs for official controls arising from this regulation must be borne by the food business operator
• Foods not in compliance shall not be placed on the market and safely disposed of or returned to the country of origin
• All results must be notified to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed and the European Union’s Urgent Radiological Information Exchange System
• The Regulation will apply until 30th June and will be reviewed monthly

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