FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT DISASTER ANNIVERSARY

Today is the 6th anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, triggered primarily by the tsunami that followed the powerful earthquake on that date.

I have posted 32 posts on this blog relating to this incident, starting shortly after the disaster, and correctly predicting the food contamination that occurred. I have to admit that I was surprised to find that the most popular of the posts dealt with contamination of seaweed, with almost 10,000 views.

Looking once again at the sad photos from this incident in today's New York Times, my heart went out to the victims of this tragic incident.

TSF

IS THERE TOO MUCH RADIATION IN RICE?

This blog warned about nuclear contamination of food in Japan very soon after the Fukushima nuclear plant crisis in northeast Japan on March 11. At that point, there was, as yet, no evidence or discussion of it. (Read the 20 earlier posts on this issue, beginning March 15). These fears have been confirmed. Excessive levels of radiation have been found in milk, vegetables, fruit, seaweed, fish, drinking water, animal feed - and, most recently, in beef.

It was only a matter of time before attention would turn to rice. Back on April 10, I (see "Can Rice be Contaminated?") I mentioned that the Government of Japan had advised farmers not to plant rice in certain areas because of this risk. We'll know soon whether such warnings were enough. The rice planted back in the spring is about to be harvested. Government-required testing of the rice is beginning in at least 14 prefectures in north and east Japan. About 40 percent of the annually harvested over 8 million tons of rice is grown in this area.

The testing will check levels of cesium in rice to make sure that they are not above the maximum government-imposed cap of 500 becquerels per kilogram. If any are, then shipments of rice from the area will be stopped.

Obviously farmers are anxious. But so are consumers. Rice is something that most people in Japan eat every day - including young children and pregnant women, who are at special risk. Cesium can build up in the body, resulting in higher risk for certain cancers as well as other health problems.

To your good health,
TSF

MORE RADIOACTIVE BEEF IN JAPAN

As I expected (see previous posts on this issue), more cattle in Japan have been found to have very high levels of radiation. This is bad news, but let me say right away for those readers from Japan: a few meals of this radiation-contaminated beef are unlikely to seriously affect your health. You would have to eat it regularly for a longer time.

The total number of cattle shipped now appears to be 648 from Fukushima Prefecture, plus about another 24 from Niigata Prefecture (this total is bound to increase further). At least 8 farms are involved. All are reported to have fed radiation-contaminated straw to the cattle. This straw was collected near the crippled Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant after the recent nuclear catastrophe. That is, it was exposed to radiation from the atmosphere. Some of it has been found to have extremely high levels of the radioactive isotope caesium.

So where did the contaminated beef end up? Basically, it was distributed widely in Japan. According to The Mainichi Daily News, of the cows from Fukushima farms, 199 were shipped to Tokyo, 192 to Hyogo Prefecture, nine to Gunma Prefecture, eight distributed within Fukushima Prefecture, two went to Tochigi Prefecture and one to Saitama Prefecture. The authorities are still tracing these shipments further and finding out if the meat has actually been sold to consumers or to institutional clients.

What this incident is also showing is that farmers in Japan are out of the post-disaster information loop. Six of the seven from Fukushima Prefecture said they hadn't even heard that they weren't supposed to feed their cattle straw that that been stored outside! I hope this situation is being addressed. If these cattle farmers hadn't heard, most likely others haven't either, and there is bound to be more contaminated feed around - including for other food animals and poultry.

To your good health,

TSF

FUKUSHIMA RADIATION CONTINUES TO CONTAMINATE FOOD

Tomorrow, June 11, will be the 3 month anniversary of the disastrous tsunami and nuclear catastrophe in Japan. I was heavily blogging the implications for food safety before this huge European E.coli bacteria outbreak diverted my attention. Now I am back.

The contamination of the environment and of food seems to be much less in the news now than it was during the first two months. In fact, very little information on levels of radionuclides in Japan's food seems to be released, even though testing is apparently ongoing. But that does not mean that radioactive material from the damaged Fukushima nuclear facility is no longer drifting over populated areas and agricultural land where crops grow and animals graze. It is. Nor does it mean that people, especially in Japan, are not concerned about how this affects the safety of their food. I can tell they are from the searches that reach my blog.

So, in answer to some of the questions people have, I tried to find out where the radioactive material is going. After much searching, I finally found information on the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety

Agency's (ARPANSA) official site. They have modeled its path according to wind conditions. From yesterday, June 9 the radioactive materials was supposed to mainly be over Northern Japan. However, starting from Saturday mid-morning, changing wind conditions would push the plume to the south of the reactor site. There may be some landfall over Southern Japan. While no landfall is expected in Tokyo on Thursday, ARPANSA says it may occur Saturday and Sunday. Over the next 12 days or so, the radiation plume is expected to move over Korea, China, Russia and USA.

The ARPANSA website provides more detailed information. But you get the picture. The radioactive material is still drifting around. Soil, grass and agricultural crops in the path of the radiation plume are progressively becoming more and more contaminated as they accumulate unhealthy substances such as nuclear Caesium and Iodine (see earlier blogs for more information on these). Several countries which import Japanese food products such as seaweed, seafood, milk and fruits and vegetables are cautious about foods grown in Japanese prefectures of Kanagawa, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Tokyo, Yamagata, Miyagi and Shizuoka.

To your good health!

TSF

WILL RADIATION-CONTAMINATED SEAWATER REACH THE UNITED STATES?

Looking at the statistics for this blog, I notice that quite a few people in the United States have been searching about radiation in food, including in fish. I don't think they are just worried about imported fish from Japan (although some people are certainly avoiding that). They are also wondering whether radiation in the sea near the crippled Fukushima power plant will reach U.S. waters and contaminate the fish here.

Japanese officials have now raised the severity of the Fukushima disaster to that of Chernobyl - a level 7. But, in terms of its impact on oceans, the effect is actually greater. Certain radionuclides have been found at higher levels in the Pacific than they were after Chernobyl in the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea. They got into the Pacific not only from the hundreds of thousands of tons of very radioactive water discharged into the ocean, but also from the air. So where does all this water go? To answer that question, I did a bit of searching to see what the oceanographers are predicting.

Yes, it does seem that the main currents from the Fukushima area of Japan move across the Pacific towards the west coast of the United States. I think they are the Kuroshio and the Oyashio, which converge (see NASA photo taken 100 miles north of the Fukushima plant). The contaminated seawater is expected to reach Hawaii in about a year and get as far as California in two to three years. It takes a while.

In the meantime, it will get more and more diluted. So it seems that Americans - including people here in California - shouldn't be too worried.

Let's just stick to focusing more on our home-grown toxins in seafood , such as those found the the San Francisco Bay and Santa Monica Bay of California - PCBs, DDT, dieldrin, chlordane and dioxins. And, any that our own nuclear plants discharge into the environment.

To your good health!

TSF

UPDATES ON RADIATION IN SEAWEED AND FISH NEAR FUKUSHIMA

No one seems to really know how much radiation has entered the sea near the crippled Fukushima power plant, just how far this water will drift, or how badly radiation will contaminate ocean fish and sea vegetables such as seaweed. What we do know is that hundreds of thousands of tons of highly radioactive water has been dumped in the sea, or flown from the land to the sea. And, we haven't reached the end of it yet.

But, as I predicted in my post on April 15, seaweed has indeed been found to be contaminated. On May 13, the environmental activists group, Greenpeace announced that it had found much higher than normal levels of radiation contamination in seaweed off the coast of Japan, as much as 65Km from the crippled Fukushima power plant (their vessel was reportedly not allowed into territorial waters to do its sampling). It has called on Japan's government to undertake a comprehensive testing of the seaweed along the coast, just as seaweed harvesting is beginning.

And, as I also predicted - March 27th post "Radiation in Fish?" which is now 40 posts ago, abnormally high levels of radiation have turned up in seafood in the Pacific waters near the Fukushima plant. But but so far they have only been detected in only one species of fish. But I can promise you that more will be found - especially in fish that are predators, eating contaminated smaller fish (as I blogged earlier) and in fish from lakes and probably rivers as well. Longer term, radiocaesium rather than iodine will be of more concern.

The trouble is that people who eat fish and seaweed from those waters have no way of knowing which fish is contaminated, and which seaweed is contaminated. On the positive side, a few meals are unlikely to hurt you.

To your good health,
TSF

CHILDREN ARE MORE AT RISK FROM RADIATION

I have a new hero. His name is Toshiso Kosako. Until recently, he held the very prestigious position of Senior Nuclear Adviser to the Government of Japan. But I don’t admire him because of his importance. I admire him because he gave it up, and for the reason he gave it up. That took a lot of guts and showed tremendous integrity.

Among the reasons he reportedly gave up the adviser post was that he could not go along with allowing children living near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to receive doses of radiation that are equivalent to levels established for adult nuclear power plant workers. He understands that they are more vulnerable. This greater vulnerability also applies to any nuclear (or other toxic) contaminants they receive from food.

When this crisis began, I blogged the special dangers pregnant women needed to be aware of. Maybe I should have given more attention to infants and young children. Their bodies are much smaller, and therefore a small quantity of a toxic substance can affect them as much as a larger quantity would affect an adult.

Their brains and bodies are also still developing and can be easily damaged. In addition, infants are sometimes more vulnerable to toxic substances in the environment because they crawl and put things in their mouth. In fact, they could be exposed from several sources - the atmosphere, direct contact with contaminated surfaces, and contaminated food and water.

But a final thought on the food issue: infants and young children can also be more exposed to toxic iodine and cesium from radiation-contaminated food, because they rely on a limited range of food and drink, day after day. This concentrates their risk. If one of these is contaminated - such as milk, apple juice, certain vegetables, it can be very bad news indeed.

Thank you Mr. Kosako, for speaking out for children.

TSF

IS EATING SEAWEED GOOD OR BAD?

Seaweed has been flying off the store shelves in recent weeks in China, Russia and many other countries - metaphorically speaking, of course. Why? Because people believe it can protect them against nuclear radiation - what everyone seems to be afraid of these days.

Yes, it is true - most types of seaweed such as nori, wakame, dulse, kombu, arame and other sea vegetables, contain large (though variable) quantities of iodine 127 - a trace element that our bodies need. This is the "good iodine" used in potassium iodine pills and in iodized salt, which have also sold out in many places. This good iodine helps protect our thyroid gland by giving it what it needs so that it won't take up the radioactive kind if we happen to be exposed. It's a bit like giving your puppy a tough rubber toy to chew on, so it won't eat your carpets (as mine did recently).

But then there is the other point of view. Can seaweed - especially seaweed harvested in the Pacific ocean near Japan, itself be absorbing the radiation that is being released into the sea from the Fukushima power plant? Such fears are making some people wary about eating seaweed. I have a friend who used to order seaweed salad every time we ate out, who has even started taking the nori wrap off her sushi. Several countries such as Australia and Indonesia, have halted or restricted seaweed imports from Japan in case it is contaminated with radioactive iodine.

True, seaweed can in theory absorb the dangerous iodine-131 from nuclear waste as well as all those good minerals and other substances that give it such a healthy reputation. Unfortunately, the seaweed can't tell the difference between the safe kind of iodine and the unsafe kind. But don't get too nervous. Remember, the ocean is a big place, not all seaweed comes from the ocean near Fukushima (even Japan imports seaweed from other countries as well), and many seaweed farms in the disaster area have (sadly) been wiped out by the tsunami. On top of all this, much of the iodine-131 in seaweed would usually have degraded before it reaches our plate.

What I am saying is that the risk of dangerous doses of radioactive iodine from your seaweed salad or miso soup or sushi are pretty small. But also, you shouldn't eat huge amounts of those wonderful sea vegetables thinking that they will protect you if nuclear radiation does come your way in air currents, water or food. This is not a case of "more is better." Too much "good" iodine can be toxic to your body.

TSF

CAN RICE BE CONTAMINATED?

We almost never hear of contaminated grains, including contaminated rice. But rice can be contaminated - like any other food. This can be a huge risk, since rice is the staple food for about half the world. Children, as well as adults, may eat large amounts of it regularly, particularly if they are poor and can afford little else. Or, you may be well off, but be more exposed to risks in rice if you go on one of the rice diets to lose weight, as a friend of mine did.

Many of the nastier things that have cropped up in rice have been absorbed into the rice from the soil they grow in. In Japan, it's now rice planting time, and the government has issued restrictions about planting in some areas affected by radiation from the Fukushima power plant, because of fears that the rice will pick up the radioisotope cesium-137 from the soil. It's sad for the rice farmers but good that care is being taken to keep the food supply safe.

But radiation is not the only hazard that rice can pick up. When I was doing the research for The Safe Food Handbook, one of the issues I became most absorbed in, and contacted top researchers world wide, was the risk of arsenic in rice. As we know, arsenic is one of the worst heavy metals. It can be present in soil, as when arsenic-based presitcides have been used on previous crops such as cotton, to control the boll weevel. Certain plants absorb arsenic, others do not. Rice is one that does.

Quite high levels of arsenic have indeed been found in rice from certain parts of south-central United States, and in some - not all - rice from countries such as Bangaldesh and India. Organic growing conditions will not guarantee that the rice will be low in arsenic, as it can stay there for very long periods of time.

These are just two possible contaminants in rice. And wouldn't it - brown rice, and especially rice bran, are likely to be more risky. Nutrition and food safety do not always agree.

TSF

MORE ON RADIATION IN FISH AND SHELLFISH

I blogged on March 27 about the likely risk of radiation contamination of fish and shellfish near the Fukushima power plant. That was over a week ago. It was also before we heard about the tons of radiation-contaminated water flowing into the sea near the Fukushima power plant. In fact, the latest numbers say about 7 tons of radiated water an hour is flowing into the sea from that crack in the pit at the damaged Reactor No. 2 (where ongoing efforts are now resorting to newspaper and sawdust to plug it). It was also before concerns about radiation in fish affected fresh fish sales in Tokyo, and before the media began to discuss it all over the world, including in the U.S.

And, it was before there were any reported findings of radiation in seafood near the Fukushima plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency has now reported that at the port of Choshi, in Chiba prefecture south of Fukushima, about 20% of the fish caught have been found to have elevated levels of caesium-137 (not high enough to be considered unsafe - yet).

Caesium-137? Isn't everyone talking about iodine-131? Well, yes. But most radioisotopes, including Iodine-131, have pretty short half lives (the time it takes for half the amount that initially enters the water to decay), measured in days or weeks. Testing may show elevated levels in surface seawater now (and I bet it's in lakes and rivers too) but it will get diluted, and soon just decay. In fact, the International Atomic Energy Agency said iodine-131 in seawater would “soon be of no concern.”

But other radioisotopes such as caseium-137 and stronium-90 can stick around for a long time - years, and even decades. I gather from the research on Chernobyl, that if it's in water bodies it's likely to sink down into the sediment and bioaccumulate (that is, build up) in the fish and shellfish in the area.

I wonder when we'll hear about the levels of caesium-137 found in seafood in rivers and lakes near Fukushima? I would guess, pretty soon.

By the way, I notice that my local store has stopped selling scallops imported from Japan.

TSF

RADIATION IN FISH?

Radiation in food is becoming a big issue. People everywhere are becoming nervous - not just in Japan. Even in America. Radiation fears are slowing sales of fish from Japan, and sushi restaurants are finding their customers disappearing. But is the situation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant really likely to result in radiation-contamination of fish as well as of vegetables and milk?

The experience of Chernobyl, as well as of smaller incidents at power plants (including in the U.S.) would argue that it is. And it is not just a question of contaminated marine fish. The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 showed that radiation can also enter rivers and lakes and show up in the fish living there. Fish is very important in the Japanese diet. Fish is also a major export commodity. It comes from a variety of sources: wild-caught ocean fish, marine aquaculture, inland fishing and inland water aquaculture.

After plowing through a number of research studies and scientific papers, I concluded that the levels of radionuclides entering a particular water body will not be the only factor in determining which fish are most likely to become contaminated. A number of other factors are also likely to be involved. One is whether the water is flowing rapidly or not. Another is the type of fish: whether it is predatory, and whether it is a bottom feeder or a surface feeder. The experience of Chernobyl suggests that fish in lakes and ponds will have higher build-up of radionuclides than the same type of fish from fast-moving rivers and streams. Predatory fish will have higher levels than fish which were not predatory. Benthic fish (those that like to lie on the bottom, such as carp - Japan's most popular fish) are more likely to pick up contamination than those fish which tend to live near the surface.

As far as I know, no contamination of seafood from Japan has been reported so far. But the chances are, that it will be soon. If so, don't panic. As I keep saying, in most countries, any radiation-contaminated fish is likely to be caught before it reaches the market. Even if it does get there, a few meals are unlikely to harm you. But if you are pregnant, and for young children, it is still better to stick to the safer fish.

TSF

RADIATION IN EXPORTED FOOD FROM JAPAN

Radiation has now been found in exported Japanese vegetables. The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore has found traces of radiation in Shiso (perilla leaves), Mitsuba (wild parsley), Mizuna ('water' green vegetable), and in Nanohana (green rapeseed blossom) that were imported from Japan. In fact, Singapore has now suspended import of milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables, seafood and meat from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures (note - food in all these areas has shown higher levels of radiation). There is also concern about certain processed foods from Japan, such as infant formula and yoghurt.

Consumers in other countries, including in China, the United States and Canada are also becoming concerned that their food may become radioactive. Some of this worry is overdone. First - as I have said before - the levels of toxic substances such as iodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137 that have been found in some exported food so far, are not likely to harm you if you eat a few meals of it. Secondly, radiation in food is easily detected, unlike some toxic chemicals in our food. Thirdly, radioactive iodine has a fairly short life, so levels will decrease quickly, and cesium 137 is excreted rapidly from the body if we ingest it.

I am not saying radiation in food is not unhealthy or not to be avoided if at all possible. It is. But at the present time at least, you don't need to lose sleep over it.

TSF

RADIATION RISKS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN IN TOKYO AND NEARBY

The good news today is that radiation levels in Tokyo are slightly down from yesterday. But they are still many times what they should be. We can't really be sure just how high radiation is in Japan's food and water. But we do know that soil, irrigation canals, drinking water systems and growing crops, grass and food animals as much as 100km away from the affected Fukushima power plant are picking up radioactive iodine and other contaminants such as caesium 134 and 137. And, we also know that at least some radiation-contaminated food and water is even reaching Tokyo.

Japan's Ministry of Health has warned about risks for infants, but has not issued warnings for pregnant and nursing women. They should have. Pregnant women also take up more iodine-131 and this dangerous substance does cross the placenta to the fetus. Animal testing and studies of human atomic bombing victims and those exposed by incidents like Chernobyl have shown that such iodine may have disasterous effects on the fetus. It can not only cause childhood cancers, but also miscarriages, malformations (such as neurological and motor problems), growth retardation, reduction in IQ and even mental retardation.

Two main risk factors are: the radiation dose, including whether it is acute ( a single dose) or chronic (small doses over time) and the stage of pregnancy when exposed. Exposure during the first trimester is the most serious. Pregnant women need to take extra precautions to avoid exposure to radiation from any source. That includes food and water.

If there is a shortage of bottled water in the home, priority needs to be given to the pregnant woman. She should also be careful what fresh milk she drinks and what vegetables and fruits she eats. This might be a good time to resort to tinned and powdered milk and to tinned and frozen produce, on the assumption that these were produced before the recent tragic earthquake, tsunami and associated nuclear power incident.

TSF

MORE RADIATION CONTAMINATION IN FOOD IN JAPAN

So the latest news is that above-safety radiation levels have been found in 11 types of vegetables (as well as in milk, water) in Japan. Some of these veggies are growing 60km or more away from the Fukushima power plant. I am not surprised. As testing continues, it will find more - also in fruit, and eventually in meat, fish. As in the case of Chernobyl, rain is speeding up such food contamination.

The World Health Organization says that there is no evidence of radiation-contaminated food reaching other countries. Let's hope. Japan does export certain fruit, vegetables, dairy products and seafood to Hong Kong, China and the United States, as well as to other places.

China has now announced that it is monitoring food imports from Japan and South Korea has also said that it is expanding inspection of Japanese food. So far, Australia and the U.S. seem to feel there's no need for extra precautions. This may change.

In the meantime, remember that although the levels of radioiodine are above those considered safe, you still won't get much from just a few meals to hurt you.

TSF

CONTAMINATED SPINACH AND MILK NEAR JAPAN'S NUCLEAR PLANT

It was simply a matter of time. As I have been arguing for the past few days, the spread of fairly high levels of radiation in Japan will contaminate growing food. And, I said that the experience of Chernobyl suggested that vegetables like leafy greens and milk would be first to be affected. I was right.

Today Associated Press, Reuters and other news sources reported that the levels of radiation contamination found in spinach and milk on farms near the affected nuclear plant (some as far as 60 miles away) now exceed government safety levels. Further tests are being done and shipments of food from the area may be stopped and people advised not to eat them.

If that does happen, the same thing could occur as did after the Chernobyl: the food will be sold informally and eaten locally anyway, in spite of government warnings. Why? Because there is food scarcity in many disaster-affected places. People who are faced with a choice between hunger and the risk of a little toxic food, will often opt for the latter.

The good news is that a few meals will be unlikely to affect them. But eating it over a period of time - say a year - could do so, especially in the case of children, and with people also exposed to radiation directly.

TSF

HOW RADIATION COULD CONTAMINATE JAPAN'S FOOD: LESSONS FROM CHERNOBYL

With the ongoing disaster in Japan on my mind, I spent some time today trying to find out about how radioactivity could affect Japan's agriculture and how long contamination could last. I looked to UN and other research done on the Chernobyl incident for answers, although hopefully, the amounts of radioactive materials released will not be as bad in the case of Japan. At present we simply don't know. Here are some potential lessons from Chernobyl for Japan's food production and consumption that emerge from these studies.

In the early months after the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine, food contaminated in areas with high radiation exposure was mainly due to radioiodine. It turned up in high levels in plants and grass and plant eating animals and their products (such as milk, including goat and sheep milk) and in fish in certain waters, with special risks for children and pregnant women. But iodine-131 is short lived. After a couple of months, most of it decayed. After that the main hazard for food crops was the uptake by root vegetables of radioisotopes from the soil (where rain had deposited it), especially the dangerous caesium.

What I found interesting in the Chernobyl case was that apparently the levels of radiocaesium in food crops and in animal feed were not just affected by how much of it floated around in an area and landed on the soil, but by factors such as the type of soil and type of agriculture and livestock management practices that area people used.

Problems persisted longer in the extensive type of agriculture system (think "traditional" or "subsistence") where the soil is not ploughed much, there is a lot of organic content, and where animals graze in open "natural" pastures. The Chernobyl case suggests that forest foods and animals grazing in forest and mountainous areas can retain high levels of radiocaesium for decades.

In sum, as I understand the findings (and I hope I have got it right) in the short term (about two months) the main food hazard in agriculture areas after radioactivity is radioiodine in fresh fruits and vegetables (e.g. leafy greens) growing above ground, and in milk and dairy products from area cattle. For the next couple of years or so after that, caesium contamination of root vegetables would be the main risk to avoid, particularly on organic farms and where traditional farming practices are still used. Over the still longer term , caesium contamination in milk, meat and forest products (wild mushrooms, berries and game) could continue to be risks.

TSF

THE TSUNAMI, EARTHQUAKE AND RADIATION IN FOOD

With the ongoing reports of increasing and spreading radioactivity from several of Japan's nuclear reactors, a lot of people are becoming worried about radioactivity in their food. Yes, it's true that radioactive material in the air can not only get into the body directly, but also indirectly, through food and drinking water. Radiation can be washed down by rain into the soil where food grows, into waters where fish live, and onto grass where cows graze.

The experts say that cow's milk, dairy foods and fresh fruits and vegetables will be especially vulnerable in this sort of situation. Those most at risk are young children and unborn babies. Radioactive materials in sufficiently large doses can cause various types of cancer and abnormalities to the fetus.

Right now, people living in Japan are of course most likely to be at risk both from direct exposure and from their food. However, it is likely that the radioactive plume will be carried to other countries as well, though with lower levels of radioactive materials.

But what about countries which import fresh and processed foods from Japan? Reuters reports that Asian nations nearby, such as India, Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore and the Philippines have ordered that imported Japanese foods be tested for radioactivity. It looks like China may start to do the same.

What about nations in Europe and countries such as Russia, Britain, the U.S. and Canada? I haven't seen any reports yet, but it is likely that similar precautions will be taken. If anything is found, such imports will be banned.

In the meantime, I don't see any reason for those of us living outside Japan to worry about imported Japanese foods. We don't need to avoid eating in a Japanese restaurant either. (I have noticed that some in my neighborhood seem to be emptier than usual.) Anything from Japan that they are serving currently would have come before the recent earthquake, Tsunami and related radiation leaks (there are too many logistical problems at present for much export to take place). And as for irradiated food, it has nothing to do with irradiation.

TSF