Dubai, March 23: Japanese restaurants in Dubai are poised for tough days ahead as customers are shying away and authorities have blocked shipment of foodstuffs from Japan over fears of radioactive contamination from the quake and tsunami-hit nuclear plants there.
However, officials have assured that any shortage in Japanese food supply will have only minimal impact on the whole food industry here since Japanese food imports constitute only less than one per cent of the total food imported to Dubai. The impact will be limited to the Japanese restaurants here.
“We have blocked all imports from Japan and we are waiting for further instructions from the Ministry of Environment and Water,” Head of Food
Trade Section at the Dubai Municipality’s Food Control Department Iman Ali Al Bastaki told media.
Giving statistics, she said food shipments from Japan constituted less than one per cent of the total food imports to Dubai. In 2010, 450 shipments weighing 9,000 tonnes were imported while 175 shipments weighing 2,900 tonnes have reached here by March 15 this year.
Most of the food items imported from Japan are fruits, vegetables, fish, sea foods, beverages, soft drinks, grains, cereals, herbs, spices, coffee, tea, chocolates, sugar, confectioneries and products related to these items which are mostly consumed by the Japanese expatriates here.
The Ministry of Environment and Water has assured residents that there was no cause for concern about food reaching the market as there is strict surveillance and control over the foodstuff imported from areas affected by the radioactive contamination.
On Monday, the WHO said the radiation in food from affected areas was more serious than earlier thought.
Dr Mariam Hassan Al Shamsi, Acting Undersecretary of the ministry, said the ministry had good coordination with local food control authorities and laboratories under the municipalities to make sure that no contaminated food reaches the market.
Hisaya Saito, deputy general manager of Summit Trading, said the company has halted its weekly air cargo and the monthly shipment of food items from Japan on orders from the municipality.
“We still have stock because a shipment which had left Japan before the radiation leak had arrived last week. But, we don’t know what we can do about following containers now at the Japan ports. If the situation continues, we will have to get stuff from other countries,” he said.
Japanese restaurants said they are poised for bad business in the coming days as supply is hit and number of diners has started decreasing. “We had just 13 diners for Monday’s buffet, that is the lowest that we have ever had,” a staff from Minato in Radisson Blu Hotel in Deira said.
Though he was concerned that his dishes may lose the authentic Japanese flavour due to shortage in supply of ingredients, Minato’s chef Nakagawa Takeyuki said it was insignificant as compared to the safety of his customers and the sufferings of his compatriots back home.
–Agencies–