SINGAPORE (Kyodo) The Singapore authority in charge of food safety said Monday it is monitoring Japanese food products for radioactive contamination in light of the nuclear power plant crisis in Fukushima Prefecture.
"As a precautionary measure, AVA will monitor Japanese produce based on source and potential risk of contamination," the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said.
"Samples will be taken for testing for radiation," it said, adding that the priority for the checks will be on fresh produce.
Peter Chek of Ban Choon Marketing, a company that imports fruits and vegetables from Japan to Singapore, said Japanese fruits and vegetables account for 10 to 15 percent of the Singapore market for fresh produce.
Japanese fruit has become more popular in Singapore recently because of its quality, he said.
He said his imports of Aomori apples will be slightly affected over the next few weeks because the apple orchards have been damaged by the quake and tsunami.