Imported seafood from Chile, France and Canada at a Japanese supermarket in Beijing, on August 24, 2023 Photo: VCG

China's top market regulator on Friday said that it will step up the supervision targeting food safety for aquatic products while strengthening the monitoring of salt prices following the Japanese government's greenlighting the dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean.

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) will urge merchants to strictly follow the corresponding regulations and strictly prohibit the use and purchase of aquatic products from Japan, SAMR said in a statement on its official WeChat account. The agency will step up the sampling and testing of aquatic products in the market, and will implement strict punishment for violating behaviors.

China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced on Thursday that it decided to fully suspend aquatic products originating from Japan, which aims to "comprehensively prevent the risk of radioactive contamination caused by the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima to food safety, protect the health of Chinese consumers, and ensure the safety of imported food."

SAMR meanwhile also called for strengthening over the monitoring of salt prices nationwide by establishing a connecting mechanism, with an increased price supervision and law enforcement on illegal acts of price gouging.

Chinese consumers rushed to snap up salt on Thursday as many salt products on Chinese e-commerce platforms were displayed as being sold out, with the exception of a number of imported products and sea salt.

Global Times