Oysters with mislabelled origin intercepted at airport

A batch of unshelled oysters from Japan has been intercepted at Macau International Airport after import inspections revealed the origins had been misattributed, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) has disclosed

After Japan started discharging processed wastewater from its nuclear power plants in Fukushima last week, the Macau government imposed a ban on Japanese produce and related products from 10 areas of the country.

Pursuant to Chief Executive Dispatch No 134/2023, enacted on Aug. 24, fresh food, food of animal origin, sea salt and seaweed from the prefectures of Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, as well as the Tokyo Metropolis can no longer be imported into Macau.

According to the IAM, the declared origin of the batch of oysters is from Iwate Prefecture of Japan. After inspecting the batch of produce with radioactivity meters – a new practice applicable only to produce from Japan – IAM officers discovered on the external packaging that the oysters were in fact from Miyagi Prefecture.

The IAM reminds the industry to strictly abide by the laws and regulations, be aware of the source and quality of the goods, refrain from importing food from prohibited areas, and keep records and documents of incoming goods so that authorities can trace the source and flow of food when required.

According to the IAM, this is the first case of its kind after the enactment of the import ban. The IAM added that it would escalate its efforts in inspecting Japanese food products at import and “safeguard food safety in Macau” on the retail level.