TAIPEI: Taiwan is planning to phase out restrictions on food imports from five Japanese prefectures imposed in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, health authorities said Monday. Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung told a Chinese year-end press conference that while the Taiwan government will never allow the import of Japanese food products contaminated with radioactive material, it will “make appropriate adjustments” concerning those that are not contaminated according to the regulations of international trade. Chen, however, emphasized that there is no timetable for easing the ban. Chen pointed out that the European Union has decided to lift its restrictions on imports of certain Japanese food imposed after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and that China has also proposed to Japan to set up a working group to discuss the issue. Taiwan cannot detach itself from the issue,” Chen said. “It is not right that Taiwan hasn’t adjusted the policy for all these years.” Chen said the import ban was imposed on five Japanese prefectures because the government at that time did not know what kinds of food products were safe. Chen suggested that Taiwan is likely to allow the import of food products with low safety risks because some food products from the five prefectures are safe to consume. A government official who is involved in the policy planning told Kyodo News that the government is indeed planning to ease the ban in two stages, but the decision must be approved by “higher-ups” before the ministry finalizes details of the plan and makes the official announcement.
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