US Bans Products from Japan Due to Radionuclide Contamination & Distrust in Japan's Handling of the Situation.
By
Theodora Filis
Alert: New studies show radioactive materials being carried across the Pacific from Fukushima.
— The West Coast needs to monitor pockets of high contamination — Certain areas may be affected in a significant way.
Saturday,
September 28, 2013, The Dong-A-Ilbo, Korea's top newspaper, reported: “Concerns over Japan’s radioactive contamination and its seafood
is spreading to most countries in the Pacific basin. The United
States has recently banned agricultural and fishery imports from 14
prefectures in Japan, up from eight. South Korea puts a similar ban
on fishery imports from eight prefectures, while China and Taiwan
does so for 10 and five prefectures, respectively. [... The IAEA's]
upcoming probe needs to shed light on the cause and situation of soil
and sea water contamination. [...] It would be much better if experts
from South Korea, the United States and China participate in the
investigation...”
Due to
the public health concerns associated with radiation and nuclear
contamination, FDA has increased surveillance of regulated products
from Japan. The FDA will continue monitoring the public health risks
due to radionuclide contamination, and when appropriate will remove
the Import Alert and resume routine coverage of entries.
Although
30 months have passed since the Fukushima incident, the Japanese
government continues to fuel anxiety and distrust. Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe told a meeting of International Olympic Committee
members on Sept. 8, 2013 that, “contaminated water leaking from the
Fukushima nuclear plant were "under control" within 0.3
kilometers of the area.
However,
in an interview last week with Korean media, Kenya Mizuguchi,
emeritus professor of maritime science and technology at Tokyo
University, rebutted Abe`s remarks, arguing that large amount of
contaminated water was being leaked into the sea.
Tokyo
Electric Power Co.`s announcement, last week, that it detected 400,000
becquerels per liter of radioactive materials in a well near the
reactors of the Fukushima No. 1 and 2 Nuclear Power Plants also puts
Abe to shame.
In a
recent survey by Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun, 95 percent of the
respondents said the water contamination was "serious."
FDA is processing all food products from Japan in
four categories:- Category 1 consists of products that the
Government of Japan has restricted for sale or export. Authorities
will prevent these products from entering the U.S.
These products cannot gain entry by providing sample results. As of July 11, 2011, these include:
- Tea leaves from Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma,
Kanagawa, and Chiba prefectures, and dace, ayu, and cherry salmon
(yamame) from Fukushima.
- Spinach, lettuce, celery, cress, endive,
escarole, chard, collards, and other head-type leafy vegetables
from the Fukushima Prefecture.
- Turnips and other non-head type leafy
vegetables, as well as broccoli, cauliflower, flower head brassicas
(i.e. broccoli and cauliflower), mushrooms bamboo shoots, and
Ostrich fern from the Fukushima Prefecture.
- Sand lance from Fukushima Prefecture
- Milk from the Fukushima and Ibaraki
Prefectures.
- Spinach and kakina from the Fukushima and
Ibaraki Prefectures.
- Tea leaves from Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma,
Kanagawa, and Chiba prefectures, and dace, ayu, and cherry salmon
(yamame) from Fukushima.
- Category 2 consists of products from the
Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Tochigi Prefectures that the Government of
Japan has not currently banned for sale or export. These specific
products include dairy products and fresh produce. Under Import
Alert 99-33, authorities may detain these products when they arrive
in the U.S. Authorities will release these products from detention
if the importer can show the products are compliant.
- Category 3 consists of food and feed products
not covered by FDA’s Import Alert that come from these three
Japanese prefectures:
- Fukushima
- Ibaraki
- Tochigi
- Fukushima
- Category 4 consists of all other FDA-regulated food products from Japan that are not listed in the Import Alert and do not belong to one of the other categories. Authorities will review these products using standard procedures, and as part of this may monitor and sample products as resources permit.
Fukushima needs the world's help!
FDA-regulated products imported from Japan include human and animal foods, medical devices and radiation emitting products, cosmetics, animal and human drugs and biologics, dietary supplements, and animal feeds. Foods imported from Japan make up less than 4 percent of foods imported from all sources. (Food products from Canada and Mexico each make up about 29 percent of all imported foods.) Almost 60 percent of all products imported from Japan are foods. The most common food products imported include seafood, snack foods and processed fruits and vegetables.What about fish that swim from the reactor site into U.S. fishing waters?
According to the FDA: Japan to U.S. waters would take several days under the best of circumstances. Vessels fishing in waters far off U.S. shores must also travel several days to return to port. It is unlikely that a fish exposed to significant levels of radionuclides near the reactor could travel to U.S. waters and be caught and harvested. If this improbable trip did occur, the level of short-lived radionuclides such as I-131 would drop significantly through natural radioactive decay during the time needed to make the journey. At this time, Japanese tests have detected longer-lived radionuclides such as Cs-137 in only a few samples and at levels below FDA DILs. FDA’s testing of fish imported from Japan has not detected the presence of Cs-137.
Fish that have traveled to the US will be tested by the FDA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Together FDA and NOAA will also inspect facilities that process and sell seafood from those areas.
Does FDA recommend that consumers purchase potassium iodide as a protective step?
No. There is no public health event requiring anyone in the U.S. to take KI because of the ongoing situation in Japan.
How can consumers identify products that may be violative?
Consumers should be wary of the following:
-
o claims that a product not approved by FDA can
prevent or treat the harmful effects of radiation exposure related
to a nuclear incident (i.e., meltdown of a nuclear power plant);
o suggestions that a potassium iodide product will treat conditions other than those for which it is approved, i.e.,
- KI
floods the thyroid with non-radioactive iodine and prevents the
uptake of the radioactive molecules, which are subsequently excreted
in the urine;
o promotions using words such as “scientific breakthrough,” “new products,” “miraculous cure,” “secret ingredient,” and “ancient remedy”;
o testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results;
o limited availability and advance payment requirements;
o promises of no-risk, money-back guarantees;
o promises of an “easy” fix; and,
o claims that the product is “natural” or has fewer side effects than approved drugs.
O claims that kelp, seaweed, and other food products contain enough iodine to protect against radioactive iodine. These products contain very little iodine when compared to the approved drug products. There are no foods or dietary supplements approved by FDA for protection against radioactive iodine
Consumers and health care professionals are encouraged to report adverse side effects or medication errors from the use of both approved and unapproved radiation exposure products to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch or by calling 800-332-1088.
US Department of Health and Services website: http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm247403.htm
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