MACAO - Supermarkets in Macao have seen significant drop in sale of Japanese food recently, indicating that local consumers seemed to be skittish about products being affected by nuclear fallout, the Macao Post Daily reported on Monday.

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Following radioactive leakage in Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant caused by the 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, some consumers are worried that food imported from Japan are contaminated by radioactive materials.

A representative of local supermarket chain Vang Kei told the newspaper that since the leak from the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, the supermarkets' sales of Japanese products have "dropped significantly".

The representative, who did not provide an estimate on the percentage of the drop in sales, said consumer confidence had been affected despite the fact that products currently on shelves are from shipments before the catastrophe took place.

"When people get a clearer picture of what's happening, it will take some time before they start buying again," the representative said, adding that imports of Japanese food items and beverages will continue to be the same as long as the goods are not shipped via radiation-affected areas.

According to the representative, all shipments from Japan will go through two radiation checks, one in Japan and the other in Macao, to ensure safety before the products are available on the market.