Japan Nuclear Crisis Continues and Fears of Food Contamination Spread

The Japanese government now says problems at a stricken reactor are under investigation and radiation levels in food are being monitored carefully.

Chief government spokesman Yukio Edano says electric company staff is investigating the cause of smoke seen over a stricken reactor.

"It is difficult to pinpoint the cause. The people on the ground are checking and investigating the situation and they are checking to see if there are any abnormalities in pressure, radiation levels and the fuel rod pool while they look into the cause."

Tokyo Electric Power, the operators of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant reported grey smoke over reactor No. 3 and a white haze over No.2 earlier this week. Workers at the plant were evacuated and attempts to connect power lines to pumps to feed water into fuel rod pools in order to keep them cool, was halted.

But the company said they were planning to resume work to restore power to reactors No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4.

Meanwhile, fears of radiation contamination are starting to spread, after minimal amounts of radioactive substances were found in food such as spinach and milk.

The Japanese government has ordered four prefectures near Fukushima to refrain from shipping their products as a precaution.

However, Edano reiterates the levels detected are not harmful.

"In these areas, of course it is not the case that there will be effects on people's health immediately and we believe that it is also not something that will have a long-term effect on people."

Experts say readings are much lower than around Chernobyl after the 1985 accident in Ukraine. But the World Health Organisation says the radiation impact is more serious than first thought, when it was expected to be limited to 20-30 kilometers from the plant.