Singapore is keeping in place curbs on food imports from Fukushima, which six years ago on Saturday (March 11) was hit by an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has told The Straits Times.

This is despite the authority having announced a review on easing curbs in January last year, and Japans repeated insistence that its strict food safety standards already exceed international requirements.

Japans reconstruction minister, Masahiro Imamura, stressed that  "Last year, no rice, vegetables and fruits, livestock products, cultivated mushrooms, or seafood products grown in Fukushima prefecture were detected to have exceeded standard limits."

"It is irrational to restrict the import of Japanese food products that are sold on the market, which have passed very strict inspection," he said. "We would like the authorities in each country and region to see these scientific and objective facts."