Hong Kong bans Japanese dairy, vegetable imports

Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene department said on Wednesday that three samples of vegetables showed radiation contamination, while broadcaster RTHK reported that the readings were as much as 10 times above safe levels. -- PHOTO: AP

HONG KONG - HONG Kong said on Wednesday it is slapping a ban on a wide variety of Japanese food imports after radiation contamination was found in vegetables shipped from the quake-stricken country.

Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene department said on Wednesday that three samples of vegetables showed radiation contamination, while broadcaster RTHK reported that the readings were as much as 10 times above safe levels.

'Three samples of vegetables were found to have been contaminated,' a department spokesman said without elaborating.

The Hong Kong ban applies to dairy products, fruit and vegetables from five prefectures near the Fukushima nuclear plant, which was hit by a powerful quake and tsunami on March 11, followed by a series of explosions and fires.

The Chinese territory is the first Asian government to impose such a ban, after the United States blocked imports of dairy and other produce from areas near Fukushima.

France has urged the European Union to impose 'systematic controls' on Japanese food imports, while South Korean officials said they're considering banning food shipments from areas near the quake-damaged plant. -- AFP