The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is refraining from taking immediate action in response to the release of wastewater from Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean on August 24. This information was disclosed by Lertchai Lertvut, the deputy secretary-general of the FDA.
Lertchai mentioned that the FDA has been in discussions with the Department of Fisheries, the Office of Atoms for Peace, and the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology concerning concerns about potential contamination of seafood due to the wastewater.
He went on to clarify that officials from the Fisheries Department and the FDA will carefully inspect all incoming food to detect any radioactive materials that exceed Thailand’s safety standards. Shipments failing these safety checks will be returned, and additional imports will be stopped.
Lertchai also noted that, in collaboration with the fisheries department, the FDA has consistently taken samples of seafood from the vicinity of the nuclear plant since the 2011 tsunami. These tests have never found food or other products containing radioactive materials that exceed Thai safety regulations.
He also shared that Japan’s Public Health Ministry reported that none of the 4,375 seafood samples collected from Fukushima in the past year showed radioactive materials exceeding safety levels, as reported by the Bangkok Post.
Additionally, the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency has approved the discharge of treated water from the Japanese nuclear plant, as the radiation levels were deemed not to pose a threat to human health.
In response to this event, Lertchai stated that the FDA and related agencies intend to double the number of seafood samples collected for the detection of radioactive materials to enhance consumer confidence in their safety.
He confirmed that the first shipment of Japanese seafood after the wastewater discharge will arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport in mid-September, where FDA and fisheries officials will conduct a thorough inspection.
In July, an international watchdog approved Japan’s controversial proposal to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean, asserting that the process aligns with global standards.
