Food contamination more serious than originally thought : WHO

Geneva - Contamination of food products by radiation from an earthquake and tsunami-damaged nuclear plant in Japan may be more serious than originally thought, a World Health Organization official said Monday.

Last week, the WHO had said that if there was any contamination, it would only be in agricultural products from within a 30-kilometre radius of the stricken Fukushima plant. But recent reports indicate the problem might be more widespread.

"This is something we are finding out about more and more. Things have certainly moved on since last week," a WHO official told the German Press Agency dpa.

"I think it is serious, but how serious remains to be seem," the official said, adding that a team of experts was meeting at WHO headquarters in Geneva to determine the extent of the situation.