November 4, 2013
South Korea's stock feed imports from Japan tainted with radioactive cesium
South Korea has detected radioactive chemical cesium in some of the stock feeds imported from Japan, raising fears of radioactive contamination in the country's food chain.
A report by the agriculture ministry states that levels as high as 2.3 becquerels of cesium were found in more than 85 tonnes of assorted feed for livestock. Meanwhile, about 10 thousand tonnes of different types of feeds are estimated to have been distributed in South Korea so far.
While the detected amounts are lower than the government's safety levels, experts warned thatthe situation could change if fish and livestock continue to consume the cesium-tainted feed.
The South Korean government has banned seafood imports from Fukushima and nearby prefectures, but no regulations on stock feed imports from those areas has been established to date.