Radiation in U.S. milk samples found as Japan’s nuclear crisis deepens

Radiation In Milk Found in U.S.

Radiation in milk samples in California and Washington has raised fears that the Japan radiation is spreading beyond the water supply into food products in the United States.

A Spokane, Washington milk sample showed traces of radioactive iodine-131 in March 25, but health officials said the amount found was 5,000 times lower than what is considered dangerous to human health.

In California, a milk sample was found positive for small amounts of iodine-131 in March 28. State health authorities also said the level detected is not harmful.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration downplayed the radiation in milk, drinking water and other food items as "far below levels of public health concern."

"Radiation is all around us in our daily lives, and these findings are a minuscule amount to what people experience every day," said FDA senior scientist Patricia Hansen, in a statement.

Japan has been struggling to contain the spread of radiation from its damaged nuclear reactors since they were hit by the earthquake. Radiation in milk and produce in Tokyo and its neighboring areas has prompted Japanese authorities to ban shipments from Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures.

Other countries have also ordered selective bans on Japanese food imports on concerns of radiation contamination.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the FDA are monitoring samples from drinking water, milk and other food products, but said that iodine-131 levels found so far are "expected to drop relatively quickly."

The news of the positive contamination of milk comes after rainwater samples in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania also yielded low levels of radiation.

Posted by Melanie Mendoza on Thursday March 31 2011, 8:32 AM EST. Ref: Bloomberg. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Shopping. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0