Fukushima: Switzerland lifts import barriers for Japanese food
A fish buyer inspects the catch at Onahama Port, Fukushima Prefecture, in 2020
Keystone / Kimimasa Mayama
Switzerland has lifted all import restrictions on Japanese food following the nuclear accident in Fukushima in 2011. Certain items of food had to be tested for radioactive contamination before being exported to Switzerland.
Most recently, there were still restrictions mainly on wild mushrooms, certain types of fish and wild plants, said a spokeswoman for the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) on Tuesday.
She explained that the conditions were no longer necessary owing to current radiation levels. Food from the Fukushima region can once again be considered safe, she said, adding that the Japanese authorities had made considerable efforts in recent years to reduce the radioactive contamination of food.
Special protective measures had no longer applied to food of animal origin since the beginning of August, the FSVO said. From now, the measures will also cease to apply to food of plant origin.
For Japan, the removal of trade barriers is an important step. The effects were particularly noticeable for the Japanese economy.
The items of food affected by the import restrictions had to be tested for radioactivity before being exported to Switzerland. The Japanese authorities had to certify compliance with the maximum levels for radioactivity. Certain foodstuffs were subjected to additional controls. This meant additional work for the authorities at the border.
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