Japanese Restaurant in Taiwan Offers Radiation Checks

Diners at the upscale Peony restaurant in Taipei's Xinyi business and financial district can use a Geiger counter to check their own radiation levels or use it to check their food’s.

[Wang Fang-pin, Restaurant Manager]:
"When the disaster struck Japan, our owner was very concerned about the subsequent problems. After we were briefed about the Geiger counter, we purchased it right away. This way our customers can put their minds at ease, and I think it is necessary to safeguard them."

The restaurant's owner says offering the gauge is as much about reassurance as checking food. Japanese food offered at the restaurant has already been inspected by authorities, and it does not come from the radiation-affected areas of Japan.

The prospect of radiation leaks during Japan's earthquake-triggered nuclear disaster has worried many in Taiwan. It is geographically very close to Japan and like Japan, has its own nuclear power plants and is also prone to earthquakes.

Japanese food is also hugely popular on the island, where the nuclear energy body has stepped up the monitoring of imported goods from Japan and is checking all arriving airline passengers from Japan for radiation levels.

Aside from slight radiation detected in a small shipment of broad beans over the weekend, which was within legal limits, Taiwanese authorities have yet to find any other contamination.

Nevertheless, Taiwan has expanded the scope of radiation screening on all food imported from Japan, including fruit, vegetables, milk, and seafood.

Processed food such as cookies and instant noodles will also be sampled on a daily basis.

The Japanese government has ordered a halt to shipments of milk and spinach from areas around the plant after traces of radiation were found, but says Japanese food produced outside the nuclear crisis zone is safe.

Contamination concerns have spread to other neighbors, not just Taiwan. China ordered local authorities to inspect Japanese food imports for radiation, while South Korea vowed to step up screening for radioactive contamination on both farm products produced in Japan and foreign farm products shipped through Japan.