CONCERN ABOUT FOOD SAFETY ON ANNIVERSARY OF FUKUSHIMA

March 11, 2012 is the anniversary of last year's Japanese earthquake, Tsunami and nuclear disaster. Japan and the world are remembering this horrible tragedy - the lives lost ( an estimated 15,848 dead and 3,305 missing), numerous families, businesses and farms destroyed, and a nightmare which still haunts millions of people.

This awful event has also left many people in Japan still worried about how their health and the health of their children has been affected by the high levels of radiation leaked from the TEPCO operated Daichii-Fukushima nuclear power plant, not just through environmental exposure, but indirectly, through radiation-contaminated food and water. Many feel they were not adequately protected or informed - and still aren't.

I started blogging the issue already on March 15 - before there was any mention of food contamination. Today, in memory of the event, I glanced back at my 30 or so posts on radiation in food in Japan and in food exported from Japan. Sadly, my predictions seem to have been borne out.

The problem is not over. Some of the radionuclides continue to exist in soil, air, and water even hundreds of Km from Daichii. Japanese consumers continue to be concerned. People in other countries are also worried, particularly those living close to nuclear power plants.

But remember - eating a meal or even a few meals with high levels of radionuclides is not likely to cause lasting damage to your health. So when should you worry? I can't provide hard data. What I can do is pass on what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says will determine if this will be an an issue for you:

• the percentage of radiation contaminated foods in a your diet
• how much of the food you usually eat
• the length of time that you are eating such contaminated food (days, weeks or months)
• how vulnerable you are (for instance, infants and children and pregnant women are at special risk).

To your good health,

TSF