No risk of radiation from Japanese food products, feds say
March 18, 2011 | 04:41 PM
By JERRY HAGSTROM
Reacting to public concern about the impact of radiation on Japanese food products, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack noted today that the U.S. government will carefully monitor the small amount of food imported from Japan, while the Food and Drug Administration said there is no current threat to the U.S. food supply.
USDA is responsible for inspection of meat, poultry and processed egg products, while the FDA, a division of the Health and Human Services Department, inspects most other foods.
“I know that there are many questions Americans might have about the terrible tragedies in Japan,” Vilsack said, referring to the problems at a nuclear power plant damaged by the recent earthquake and tsunamis. “I want to reassure the American public that at this time we have no reason to suggest that any of our meat, poultry, dairy or processed egg products are unsafe for consumption due to the recent events in Japan.”
“Our food imports from Japan are quite limited,” Vilsack noted. “What we do import must meet the safety standards of this country. We monitor and inspect imports to ensure compliance with those standards. Should any risk with imports arise, we have procedures and processes in place to identify problems and deal with them. While we continue to offer aid and assistance to the Japanese we do not intend to lose sight of our core mission, which is make sure our food remains safe, abundant, and affordable.”
A statement from the FDA agreed that based on current information, there is no risk to the U.S. food supply. It added that the agency is closely monitoring the situation and working to make sure that imported food remains safe.
Although questions have been raised for years about the frequency and level of inspection of imported food, the FDA said the agency “already has a very robust screening process for imports and has staff in place at the ports to monitor incoming products.”
Products from Japan make up less than 4 percent of U.S. food imports, but include human and animal foods, medical devices and radiation emitting products, cosmetics, animal and human drugs and biologics, dietary supplements, and animal feeds, the FDA said.
The most common food products imported from Japan are seafood, snack foods and processed fruits and vegetables.
FDA does not have concerns with the safety of imported food products that have already reached the U.S. and that are in distribution or those that are in transit, the agency said.
For future imports, the FDA has procedures and laboratory techniques for measuring radionuclide levels in food and can also utilize the Food Emergency Response Network, which integrates food-testing laboratories at the local, state, and federal levels into a network that is able to respond to emergencies involving biological, chemical, or radiological contamination of food. FDA is working with Customs and Border Protection to share resources and techniques for measuring contamination.
Reacting to public concern about the impact of radiation on Japanese food products, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack noted today that the U.S. government will carefully monitor the small amount of food imported from Japan, while the Food and Drug Administration said there is no current threat to the U.S. food supply.
USDA is responsible for inspection of meat, poultry and processed egg products, while the FDA, a division of the Health and Human Services Department, inspects most other foods.
“I know that there are many questions Americans might have about the terrible tragedies in Japan,” Vilsack said, referring to the problems at a nuclear power plant damaged by the recent earthquake and tsunamis. “I want to reassure the American public that at this time we have no reason to suggest that any of our meat, poultry, dairy or processed egg products are unsafe for consumption due to the recent events in Japan.”
“Our food imports from Japan are quite limited,” Vilsack noted. “What we do import must meet the safety standards of this country. We monitor and inspect imports to ensure compliance with those standards. Should any risk with imports arise, we have procedures and processes in place to identify problems and deal with them. While we continue to offer aid and assistance to the Japanese we do not intend to lose sight of our core mission, which is make sure our food remains safe, abundant, and affordable.”
A statement from the FDA agreed that based on current information, there is no risk to the U.S. food supply. It added that the agency is closely monitoring the situation and working to make sure that imported food remains safe.
Although questions have been raised for years about the frequency and level of inspection of imported food, the FDA said the agency “already has a very robust screening process for imports and has staff in place at the ports to monitor incoming products.”
Products from Japan make up less than 4 percent of U.S. food imports, but include human and animal foods, medical devices and radiation emitting products, cosmetics, animal and human drugs and biologics, dietary supplements, and animal feeds, the FDA said.
The most common food products imported from Japan are seafood, snack foods and processed fruits and vegetables.
FDA does not have concerns with the safety of imported food products that have already reached the U.S. and that are in distribution or those that are in transit, the agency said.
For future imports, the FDA has procedures and laboratory techniques for measuring radionuclide levels in food and can also utilize the Food Emergency Response Network, which integrates food-testing laboratories at the local, state, and federal levels into a network that is able to respond to emergencies involving biological, chemical, or radiological contamination of food. FDA is working with Customs and Border Protection to share resources and techniques for measuring contamination.
