Japan to Legislate Ban on Vegetables from China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, July 19, 2002

Japan to Legislate Ban on Vegetables from China

The Japanese government may place a ban on vegetables from China for excess residual pesticide, according to the new Food Sanitation Law enacted by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

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The Japanese government may place a ban on vegetables from China for excess residual pesticide, according to the new Food Sanitation Law enacted by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Experts say that the new law will exert far more influence on Chinese vegetable exports than last year's emergent ban on Chinese food.

Besides that, the Korean Agriculture Association also on June 28 submitted a formal petition to the Korean Trade Commission, demanding to prolong its ban on Chinese garlic to the end of 2006, which should be due by the end of this year.

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare decided to revise the food law ahead of schedule.

After the law is revised, the Japanese government can adopt import ban on Chinese vegetables under the premise that if the Japanese side regards Chinese exports' security does not reach standard. What's more, the deeds will be deemed legally, Chinese exporters have to endure in silence.

On July 10, the ministry issued guidelines to related departments asking for measures against Chinese frozen spinach, it is actually cutting off Chinese vegetable exports to Japan.

Japanese Asahi Shimbun said that most spinach exports to Japan were of the frozen type. Prior to this, Japan never made examination on Chinese frozen spinach, but in line with some unexpected charges the Japanese government began to check on the frozen spinach since March 20.

Some 42 batches of spinach were found overdose pesticide among 944 batches of spinach, and 41 were from China.

According to another report, about 20 kinds of fresh vegetables and 18 types of frozen vegetables imported from China are found overdose in pesticide on June 27.

Reports say that most of the insecticides found are phosphorous. Generally, food standard is not allowed to exceed 0.01 ppm, p contents in examined vegetables reached 0.1ppm, some even tops 2.5 ppm.

The frozen spinach sold on market currently was imported last winter, the residual pesticide problem is hard to be solved in a short time.

Influenced by the overdose pesticide, frozen spinach imports from China have been cut a lot, it is predicted that Japan may stop import of spinach from China at a later time.

Residual pesticide issue has aroused high concern among Japanese opposition parties and common people.

Apart from the Japanese government taking measures against the imports, Japanese media also violently reported the case, people in Japan seem to have been more and more being kept away from Chinese vegetables.

In supermarkets, reporters see that Chinese mushroom, green Chinese onions are no longer on shelf, local vegetables are labeled as "pesticide free".

By PD Online Staff Li Yan

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