Japan to tighten food import safety rules

TOKYO, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Japanese officials plan to revise the nation's food sanitation laws to include guarantees that imported food is safe to eat, a report said Friday.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Japan's current regulations on food safety would be reviewed in the wake of a food-poisoning scare that involved frozen dumplings imported from China found to be laced with agricultural chemicals.

The Kyodo news service said late Friday it had counted poisoning cases linked to the dumplings in 39 of Japan's 47 prefectures involving nearly 1,120 people.

Government minister told reporters they would seek the cooperation of importers and distributors in ensuring that products shipped into Japan are not tainted or otherwise unsafe for consumption.