UN offers food safety help in Japan's nuclear crisis

[News_Editor]

UN offers food safety help in Japan's nuclear crisis

2011-03-24 06:56:10 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations on Wednesday announced that some of its agencies pledged to help Japan addressing food safety issues in the ongoing nuclear contamination crisis.

The radioactive contamination was caused by the severe damage sustained at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. On March 11, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake followed by a tsunami killed thousands of people and severely damaged infrastructure in which has been labeled as the worst crisis in Japan's history.

Three UN agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and World Health Organization (WHO), issued a joint document in response to the growing international concerns over the safety of food produced in Japan.

The three bodies assured that while some foods produced in the Asian country may be contaminated by radionuclides at levels unsuitable for human consumption, there is no evidence that food has been contaminated in any other country.

Radioactivity has been detected in some vegetables and milk, with radioactive iodine present in concentrations above Japanese regulatory limits and caesium showing up at lower concentrations.

The main contaminant detected so far is radioactive iodine which can accumulate in the body and particularly in the thyroid gland, increasing the risk of thyroid cancer. This is especially dangerous in children.

However, it has a half-life of eight days and decays naturally within weeks. As a prevention method, the UN agencies suggested taking potassium iodide. Radioactive caesium can linger in the environment for many years in contrast with radioactive iodine.

In addition, the caesium can have long-term health effects and the spread of it has to be monitored carefully. The agencies advised protecting food and animal fodder stored in the open by covering them with plastic impermeable tarpaulins; closing ventilation in greenhouses; bringing livestock in from pastures into barns; and harvesting ripe crops and covering them before fallout has been recorded.

IAEA Special Adviser on Scientific and Technical Affairs Graham Andrew said that no significant risk to human health has so far been identified but said that the situation in the Asian country remains of serious concern.

A second IAEA monitoring team in currently on site to help check on radiation. Andrew added that there have been some positive developments in the Fukushima plant as electrical power was restored at units one, two and four.

On Monday, China announced that the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) will test Japanese food to ensure the safety of the imports. China is the biggest trading partner and export destination for Japan. In 2010, China imported $595 million worth of agricultural products from Japan

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