Taiwan rejects natto from Japan on radiation concerns

Taiwan's food and drug regulator said on Wednesday that it had rejected five brands of Japanese natto which contained soy from radiation-affected areas in Japan.

The problematic food was seized in Taichung city in central Taiwan and will be destroyed or returned to Japan, according to the island's food and drug administration.

Taiwan banned food imports from Japan's Fukushima and nearby Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi and Chiba prefectures after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Plans to ease the ban have angered the public, accusing the authority of yielding to Japanese pressure regardless of the health of the Taiwanese.

Taiwan's food and drug authorities began an inspection of food products from Japan on Dec. 12. and have since inspected 244 batches of imports.

It called on all sellers of Japanese products to voluntarily pull any suspect products from their shelves and required Japanese exporters to present documentation of place of origin.

The inspection is expected to be completed within a week. Endite