The health ministry has ordered importers of blueberries from the United States to inspect the produce after detecting pesticide around 29 to 32 times above the quarantine standard.
Some of the blueberries have been distributed to the market, but the pesticide, methoxyfenozide, is not harmful to human health because of its low toxicity, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Thursday.
The ministry is checking the extent of distribution.
Two Tokyo-based food companies imported around 290 and 580 kg of the blueberries, and some that arrived May 26 were found to contain 0.29 to 0.32 parts per million of methoxyfenozide during inspections at Narita International Airport.