Korean food makers have been swamped with orders for bottled water and instant noodles from Japan following radiation leaks from an earthquake-damaged nuclear power plant, the companies said Thursday.

The flood of orders comes as concerns over the safety of food and drinking water are mounting in Japan following the detection of radioactive iodine exceeding the permissible level for infants in Tokyo’s tap water.

Seoksu & Puriss Co., a Korean bottled water manufacturer, said it has exported 180,000 boxes of bottled water to Japan so far this month, up 177 percent from a year ago.

“As there has been a surge in orders for bottled water from Tokyo in the aftermath of the massive earthquake and radiation leaks from the damaged Fukushima power station, our plants have been in full operation,” a company official said by phone.

Nongshim Co., Korea’s second-largest food maker, said that it has won an order for 150 tons of bottled water from Japan in March.

Nongshim also has taken an order for instant noodles, or ramen in Japanese, worth $7.5 million from Japan this month. The company exports an average of ramen worth $3 million a month to Japan.

CJ Jeiljedang Co., Korea’s biggest food maker, said though there has been no change in orders from Japan for processed foods, it is building up its inventory of instant foods in preparation for a soar in orders from the country. (Yonhap News)