RT.com
29 Jun 2022, 18:43 GMT+10
London is lifting the ban imposed after the 2011 nuclear disaster
The UK will allow food imports from the Japanese prefecture of Fukushima starting on Wednesday, The Guardian has reported, citing Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This lifts the restrictions placed on deliveries from the region after a major accident at a local nuclear power plant in 2011.
"I'm delighted that tomorrow - finally - we are able to have Fukushima-origin products all over the shops in the UK," Johnson said during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Germany on Tuesday.
UK banned imports from Fukushima 11 years ago following the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl, when a plant in the region suffered a triple nuclear meltdown.
However, the restrictions have been gradually lifted since then. The removal of the remaining measures will reportedly affect 23 products, including mushrooms. According to The Guardian, major UK supermarket chains Tesco and Waitrose said they don't plan to sell food from Fukushima, but it reportedly will be sold at Japanese restaurants and Japanese stores in England, Scotland and Wales.
Northern Ireland, which is subject to European Union rules on produce from Fukushima, will keep the restrictions in place.
Following the catastrophe, Fukushima authorities claimed to have strengthened their food safety standards to be the strictest in the world. In response to Johnson's announcement, Tokyo said it "welcomes the fact that the UK government reached this decision based on scientific evidence, as it will support the reconstruction of the affected areas."
Other countries are not so keen to import food from the area: China, Russia, South Korea, Indonesia and Taiwan maintain import restrictions on Fukushima produce. The UK, meanwhile, is in the grips of a cost-of-living crisis driven by a spike in food and fuel prices. According to a recent survey by the UK Office for National Statistics, roughly half of the country's population has been cutting back on grocery shopping to save money.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Bristol Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Bristol Star.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, 12th July 2025 (WAM) -- Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Office and Chairman of the...
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Aviation expert Ehsan Khalid stated on Saturday that the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident...
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Saturday granted time to Arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari to exhaust statutory...
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 12 (ANI): The restored 4K version of Do Bigha Zamin (1953), directed by Bimal Roy, will have its...
ECAULT BEACH, France: On clear days, the white cliffs of the United Kingdom, are visible from northern France, where men, women, and...
ATLANTA, Georgia: The United States is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, with 1,288 confirmed cases so...
In the past month alone, 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza—three more than the number of remaining living hostages held...
LONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: An elaborate impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence targeted senior U.S. and foreign officials in...