Officials from various Asian countries have announced they will begin testing Japanese food for radiation as concerns over a nuclear meltdown continue in the aftermath of Friday's earthquake.

In Hong Kong, officials are checking food products "to ascertain that they have not been affected," said Hong Kong's Food and Health Secretary York Chow.

"As far as radiation is concerned, I think the most at-risk articles are ... fresh products, perhaps dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables," Chow said.

Singapore's agri-food and veterinary authority likewise said it would test fresh produce, while South Korea's Food and Drug Administration will test agriculture and forest products, officials announced. The country is also considering testing seafood.

Malaysia is also closely monitoring the situation and will take precautionary measures by monitoring food imports from Japan, Malaysia's Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a statement.

In the Philippines, government officials said that circulating text messages saying the country was in danger from radiation leaks were untrue, and that the Philippines' chances of being affected are "really remote" because it is about 1,860 miles south of Tokyo. Presidential spokesman Ricky Carandang said that food imports will be tested there, too, as a precaution.

"Right now, we are not yet recommending a ban on any food products from Japan and we don't think it's ... necessary," said Fe Medina, spokeswoman of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (Mair, Reuters, March 14). -- AP