G/SPS/GEN/1233/Rev.6  
 
22 June 2023 
(23-4291) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
CURRENT STATUS AFTER THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ACCIDENT  
COMMUNICATION FROM JAPAN  
Revision  
The following communication, received on 21 June 2023, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Japan . 
 
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ABSTRACT  
In response to the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station 
(FDNPS) in 2011, Japan has taken a comprehensive approach in securing food safety. The accumulated 
monitoring data demonstrates that the level of radioactivity is very low and Japanese food has been 
safe for the public. The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has 
evaluated that measur es to monitor and respond to issues regarding radionuclide contamination of 
food are appropriate, that the food supply chain is controlled effectively by the relevant authorities 
and that the public food supply is safe. The majority of the countries and re gions which provisionally 
introduced import measures on Japanese food has lifted them based on the scientific evidence, and 
the number of countries and regions which still maintain the measures are reduced to 1 2. Given the 
provided evidence, there is no ne ed to impose additional import control measures and Japan calls on 
Members to remove existing measures. Regarding the controlled discharge of the ALPS (Advanced 
Liquid Processing System) treated water, Japan takes measures considering international law and  
practice, and the impact on the environment, marine biota as well as the health and safety of people, 
and continues to receive IAEA reviews and provide relevant information to the international community.  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  In response to the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power 
Station ( FDNPS) in March 2011, 55 countries and regions introduced import measures on food from 
Japan, and 4 3 have lifted them based on objective assessment. However, 1 2 countries and regions  
still maintain import measures, such as import bans, additional test requirements and certificates, and 
non-detectable level tolerance at border inspection tests.  
1.2.  This document updates the situation of radioactivity surrounding Japanese food, 1 2 years aft er 
the accident at the FDNPS. In particular, it provides an update on the risk management measures 
taken to secure food safety and to prevent environmental impacts from the FDNPS, and the resulting 
monitoring data, so that a more objective assessment of ri sk and review of the import measures on 
Japanese food, supposed to be provisionally adopted by the Members would be facilitated.  
2  FOOD SAFETY CONTROL AND STATUS OF SAFETY IN JAPANESE FOOD  
2.1.  Japan, soon after the accident, started decontamination such as of th e crop land and fruit trees, 
control over feed and agricultural input and introduced a risk -based food monitoring scheme. 
The effective dose from dietary intake has also been surveyed.  G/SPS/GEN/1233/Rev.6  
 
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  2.2.  Japanese maximum permissible levels for radioactive cesium in food (JML s)1 were set to meet 
the intervention exemption level of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), 1mSv/year, a level 
considered as safe for the public, and in consideration of the released nuclides and with highly 
conservative and hypothetical assumptio ns on  the safe side, including that 50% of food s are  
contaminated. Accordingly, the JML for food in general is set as 100 Bq/kg, while the corresponding 
Codex guideline level is 1,000 Bq/kg and even 10,000 Bq/kg can be adopted and considered as safe 
for fo od with small consumption (CXS 193 -1995).  
2.3.  The monitoring has covered a wide variety of items including that consumed in large amounts 
and with elevated concentration of radionuclides in consideration of the effective dose. It is mainly 
performed at the pro duction stage and applies targeted sampling. The monitoring plans have been 
annually revised, reflecting the past test results, focusing on the items with higher concentration. 
Sampling also includes wild harvests under shipment restriction. Including thes e results, all are well 
below the above Codex guideline levels considered as safe for human consumption . 
2.4.  In reference to the national regulatory standards, the results of major food are all within the 
JMLs.2 In the Japanese financial year (JFY) 2022, 11 recall cases were detected. Such n on-compliance 
cases were limited to those items whose harvest season is short and cultivation/keeping management 
is difficult. They are also rarely consumed or traded in outside local markets. The national laws 
mandate tha t the same lot with items exceeding the stringent JMLs is recalled and disposed of, and 
their shipment is suspended. If there are exceeding cases of a particular item over an area, 
Japan  suspends shipment of the item from the area. Japan's regulatory frame work thus prevents the 
food exceeding the JMLs from entering the food chain and being exported.  Non-compliance with food 
imported from Japan has not been detected by the destination countries for around ten years .3 
2.5.  The total diet study has been conducted since September 2011 at multiple  sites including 
Fukushima . As shown by the latest total diet study conducted February to March 2022 in 15 areas of 
Japan, the annual effective doses from radioactive cesium in foods were estimated 
0.0005 -0.008  mSv/year4 and it is 0.1 % or less of 1 mSv/year that is the basis of setting the current 
JMLs, and that was extremely low. Both food monitoring and dietary exposure assessment provide 
consistent evidence which confirm s the effectiveness of the control system in Japan and the safety of 
Japanese food.  
2.6.  The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture stated in April 2023, 
"measures to monitor and respond to issues regarding radionuclide contamination of food are 
appropriate, that the food supply chain is controlled effectively by the relevant authorities and that 
the public food supply is safe".  
2.7.  A report "Food Safety and Radionuclides after March 2011"5 has been published under our 
one-stop "Reference" website, along with the short video l aunched on the occasion when it marked a 
decade after the Great East Japan Earthquake. It summarizes the control measures taken after the 
accident, evidence on food safety and the comparative data in the foreign countries.  
3  STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT A ROUND THE TEPCO FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI 
NUCLEAR POWER STATION AND PLANNED DISCHARGE OF THE ALPS TREATED WATER  
3.1.  Japan continuously monitors the sea area around the FDNPS and reports the updates to the 
IAEA. In April 2023, the IAEA provided their assessment on the monitoring results during October  to 
December 202 2 and stated, "no significant changes were observed in the monitoring results for 
seawater, sediment and marine biota, including fishery products", "the levels measured by Japan in 
the marine environment are  low and relatively stable".  
 
1 JMLs (Bq/kg) are 50 for milk and infant food, 10 for drinking water and 100 for other food.  
2 Data sourced from the monthly data of MHLW and summarized by MAFF, "Request and justification for 
lifting the import measures on Japanese food regarding radionuclides " 
https: //www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/reference/reference.html . 
3 The last case of non -compliance with JML in Japanese food was dried mushroom (Cs -134+Cs -137: 
167 Bq/kg), detected by Hong Kong , China  in August 2013 . 
4 https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/0000205937_00019.html  (in Japanese) . 
5 Food Safety and Radionuclides after March 2011  
https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/reference/attach/pdf/reference -35.pdf . G/SPS/GEN/1233/Rev.6  
 
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  3.2.  In April 2021, Japan announced the Basic Policy on handling of the treated water stored at the 
FDNPS, which selected planned discharge into the sea. Japan takes measures considering international 
law and practice. The water is to be repurified and diluted to meet the regulatory standards for 
discharge. As practiced by other nuclear power plants in the world, only the water which complies with 
the national standards set based on international standards is to be discharged, so tha t the safety of 
the surrounding environment is secured. Regarding the timing of the start of discharge, it is expected 
to be from spring to summer of this year after the completion of construction work, NRA 's Pre-Service 
Inspections and a comprehensive rep ort of the IAEA. The enhanced Sea Area Monitoring has been 
initiated in 2022, in consideration of tritium in ALPS treated water, and monitoring results can be 
found on the websites of relevant authorities and institutions .6 
3.3.  To ensure safety and enhance transparency, a series of IAEA reviews are to be conducted before, 
during and after the discharge of ALPS treated water, overseen by the Task Force consist ing of the 
IAEA staff and internationally recognized experts from the th ird countries such as Argentina, Australia, 
Canada, China, France, the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United 
Kingdom, the United  States and Viet Nam. Its reviews of safety aspects of the handling of ALPS treated 
water at FDNPS were conducted in February and November 2022, and its reviews of regulatory aspects 
of that were conducted in March 2022 and January 2023, as well. The outcomes of each review were 
already published as a progress report by the IAEA respectively.  
3.4.  In addition to that, from 29 May to 2 June 2023, the IAEA visited Japan for the comprehensive 
review mission and it will be reflected in the comprehensive report which is expected to be issued by 
the IAEA in due course. The IAEA's independent review of whet her the discharge of ALPS treated water 
into the sea is in accordance with IAEA safety standards will continue, and the Government of Japan 
will carefully consider the findings and observations from the IAEA 's review. Furthermore, the 
implementation plan, which took into account the results of examination and review by Nuclear 
Regulation Authority (NRA) and findings and observation by the IAEA, was approved by NRA. 
Currently, NRA is conducting pre -service inspection on TEPCO 's facilities. The discharge into  the sea 
will not commence before the completion of construction work, NRA 's Pre-Service Inspections and a 
publication of the IAEA 's comprehensive report, etc.  
3.5.  Japan has been continuously providing accurate information on the current status of the FDNPS 
and the process for controlled discharge of the ALPS treated water to the international community 
such as through briefing sessions and reports for the diplomatic missions in Tokyo, and direct 
communication with the food safety authorities of the importing c ountries who accepted the offer. 
While continuing such efforts, Japan expects these Members which still maintain import measures on 
Japanese food to have risk communication with their people based on facts and science.  
4  CONCLUSION  
4.1.  In summary, the evidence s hows that Japanese food has been safe for the public for many years , 
and we have a very effective control system in place which guarantees the trade of safe food and that 
fulfils the national standard, for both domestic and international markets.  
4.2.  The joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has evaluated that 
Japan's measures and response against radionuclide contamination in food are appropriate and that 
the food supply chain is controlled effectively, and that the public fo od supply is safe. Japan keeps the 
monitoring data and relevant information highly transparent and continues collaboration with the 
international organizations.  
 
6 ALPS Treated Water Marine Monitoring Information (Ministry of the Environment)  
https:// shorisui -monitoring.env.go.jp/en/  
Results of the monitoring on radioactivity level in fishery products (Fisheries Agency)  
https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/inspection/index.html#a1  
Monit oring information of environmental radioactivity level (Nuclear Regulation Authority)  
https://radioactivity.nra.go.jp/en/  
Sea Area Monitoring (TEPCO)  
https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/decommission/progress/watertreatment/monitoring/index -e.html  
Results of Radioactive Material Analysis in the Vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station 
(TEPCO)  
https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/hd/decommission/data/analysis/index -e.html  G/SPS/GEN/1233/Rev.6  
 
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  4.3.  The water management  at the FDNPS is constructively controlled  and there has been no 
detectable change in marine environment and the biota. Japan will implement the discharge of the 
ALPS treated water in accordance with international practice and strictly comply with regulatory 
standards regarding safety, under  IAEA review. Thus, the discharge cannot be a reason for imposing 
import measures on Japanese food.  
4.4.  Given the evidence provided, there is no need to impose additional control measures on Japanese 
food and Japan calls on Members to remove their measures.  
Referenc es 
One stop "Reference", Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan 
http://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/reference/reference.html  
Presentations  
Request a nd justification for lifting import measures on Japanese food regarding radionuclides, Export 
and International Affairs Bureau, MAFF  
https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/marke t/reference/reference -32.pdf  
Links - Japan  
1) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare  
Information on the Great East Japan Earthquake – Food 
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/2011 eq/index_food.html  
2) Fishery Agency, MAFF  
Results of the monitoring on radioactivity level in fishery products  
https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/inspection/index.html  
3) Ministry of the Environment  
a. BOOKLET to Provide Basic Information Regarding Health Effects of Radiation, Chapter  7 
Environmental Monitoring  
https://www.env.go.jp/en/chemi/rhm/basic -info/index.html  
b. Radioactive Material Monitoring in the Water Environment in and around Fukushima 
Prefecture  
https://www.env.go.jp/en/water/rmms/survey s.html  
4) Nuclear Regulation Authority  
Monitoring information of environmental radioactivity level  
https://radioactivity.nra.go.jp/en/  
5) TEPCO：Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings  
Radioactive Concentration measured by Seawater Radiation Monitor near Fukushima Daiichi 
Nuclear Power Station  
https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima -np/f1/seawater/index -e.html  
Links - International organizations  
1) Codex Alimentarius  (FAO/WHO ) 
GENERAL STANDARD FOR CONTAMINANTS AND TOXINS IN FOOD AND FEED 
(CXS 193-1995)  
http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/codex -texts/list -standards/en/  
2) ICRP: International Commission on Radiological Protection  
Annals of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), 
PUBLICATION  103, The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on 
Radiological Protection, pp.98 -99 (Effective dose limit for the public:1mSv in a year)  
https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/reference/attach/pd f/reference -25.pdf  
3) IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency  
a. IAEA, Fukushima Daiichi Status Updates  
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/fukushima/status -update  
b. Interlaboratory C omparisons 2017 –2020: Determination of Radionuclides in Sea 
Water, Sediment and Fish, IAEA Analytical Quality in Nuclear Applications, 2021  
https://www.maff.go.j p/e/policies/market/reference/attach/pdf/reference -27.pdf  
c. Interlaboratory comparison 2021 Determination of radionuclides in seawater, sediment G/SPS/GEN/1233/Rev.6  
 
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  and fish  
https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/reference/attach/pdf/reference -26.pdf  
Links – On the controlled discharge of ALPS treated water  
1) Ministry of Foreign Affair s of Japan  
Fukushima 's progress on safety and reconstruction (Management of ALPS Treated Water ) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld3eIiK_GH4  
2) Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, METI  
a. Mid-and-Long-Term Roadmap towards the Decommissioning of TEPCO's Fukushima 
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Units 1 -4 
https://www.meti.go.jp/english/earthquake/nuclear/decommissioning/index.html  
b. ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) treated water  
https://www.meti.go.jp/english/earthquake/nuclear/decommissioning/atw.html  
c. Procedure of con trolled discharge  
https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/reference/attach/pdf/reference -30.pdf  
3) Ministry of the Environment  
ALPS Treated Water Marine Monitoring Information  
https://shorisui -monitoring.env.go.j p/en/  
4) TEPCO  
Sea area monitoring results  
https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/decommission/progress/watertreatment/monitoring/index -
e.html  
5) IAEA 
Fukushima Daiichi T reated Water Discharge Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS)  
https://www.iaea.org/topics/response/fukushima -daiichi -nuclear -accident/fukushima -
daiichi -alps-treated -water -discharge  
 
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