Review of retained Regulation 2016/6 on importing food from Japan following the Fukushima nuclear accident

Summary of responses

Review of retained Regulation 2016/6 on importing food from Japan following the Fukushima nuclear accident: summary of stakeholder responses (accessible version)

Who will this consultation be of most interest to?

• Importers of fish, mushrooms and wild foraged vegetables from Japan into the UK.
• Food businesses in the UK including retailers and restaurants who specialise in Japanese food and consumers of these foods.

Consultation subject

Regulation 2016/6 was retained in Great Britain following the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) and applies enhanced controls on certain food imported from Japan as a result of the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011. This was an emergency measure to protect consumers from imported food which may have become contaminated with radioactive material released following the nuclear accident. 

Retained Regulation 2016/6 applies maximum levels of radioactive caesium on food and feed from Japan. However, the majority of foods from Japan can already be imported into the UK without any enhanced controls as levels of radioactivity are very low and well below these maximum levels. The enhanced controls apply to a limited number of foods including certain species of fish, wild mushrooms and foraged Japanese vegetables on which enhanced controls remain in place. These products are only imported into the UK in small quantities primarily catering for restaurants specialising in Japanese food and consumers of traditional Japanese foods.

Purpose of the consultation

To seek comments from industry, enforcement authorities, consumers and other interested stakeholders on our risk management options to retain, amend or revoke retained Regulation 2016/6.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have carried out Quantitative risk assessment of radiocaesium in Japanese foods.

We are not seeking comments on the risk assessment which has been independently reviewed.

How to respond

Responses to this consultation should be sent to radiation@food.gov.uk by 11 February 2022.

Consultation pack