TELL FDA: Start testing our food for radiation NOW!

Japan's Fukushima reactors continue to leak radioactivity into the Pacific Ocean. The American public deserves to be able to protect itself, particularly susceptible children, against this pollution. Tell the US Food and Drug Administration to lower the allowable limit of radioactivity in our food and spearhead widespread food testing.

COMMENT HERE by Sept. 11, 2013 

This comment process may be a little more involved than what some of us are used to because FDA is legally required to respond to our petition. The more supporting comments from people like you, the greater chance they will start working for responsible food policy.

Feel free to use the italicized talking points below. We encourage you to change this text since personalized comments have more impact.

PLEASE SHARE WIDELY. In addition, sign our "Bye-Bye, Becquerels!" petition if you haven't yet.

TALKING POINTS:

I am writing to demand, in the continuing wake of the Japan nuclear catastrophe, that FDA lower the amount of radioactive cesium allowed in our food to 5 Bq/kg. I also request that FDA spearhead widespread testing of the US food supply immediately. It is our RIGHT TO KNOW how contaminated our food is and our choice whether or not we eat it. Everyone has the right to say  “Bye-Bye, Becquerels!”

Japan’s nuclear industry and government have lost control (once again) of its ruined nuclear power complex at Fukushima, a site that continues to leak massive quantities of radioactivity into the Pacific Ocean. This is on top of the releases from atomic bomb tests and nuclear power.

The American Medical Association has called for testing of seafood. Canada is going to start testing its salmon in light of an historic low in salmon numbers. Korea has been testing imports from Japan, returning food with small amounts of cesium contamination. Bluefin tuna tested from off of the California coast has been contaminated with Fukushima cesium.

The US FDA has a limit twelve times that of Japan at 1200 Bq/kg of cesium. Even with the continuing release of radioactivity into the Pacific, and food testing in other countries, the FDA stated to the press that it still sees no danger from man-made radiation in food even though children are more vulnerable to radiation damage.

Food testing is urgently needed. FDA, do your job.

Interview on food monitoring

Cindy Folkers of Beyond Nuclear and Kimberly Roberson of FFAN discuss the ongoing Fukushima catastrophe and the importance of food monitoring on The Joe Show

Debate raging in Korea over monitoring Japanese seafood

Debate is brewing over the authorities’ monitoring of seafood imported from Japan due to radiation fears as a far stricter watch is being applied on agricultural products.

Seafood contaminated by radiation leaks from the Fukushima nuclear plant has been found in the local market recently, adding to public fears about the after effects of the 2011 disaster.

About 3,010 tons of fish requested for import declaration has been found to contain radioactive cesium since March 11, 2011, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

However, the food ministry was found not to have carried out additional inspections nor tightened return procedures, after radioactive materials were detected. Korea Herald

Canadian gov’t now plans to start radiation testing on fish off B.C. coast

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency plans to start testing fish off the coast of British Columbia for the presence of radiation stemming from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan earlier this year.

The agency has not yet released any specific details on the testing program, but did say it expects the test results to be well below Health Canada's actionable levels for radiation.

Fisheries activist Alexandra Morton with the Raincoast Research Society says she supports the testing, but calls the announcement a political move. Morton says millions of sockeye have started returning to the Fraser River and the fishing season is already well underway.CBCnews

American doctors' group wants US seafood tested for radiation

"Fukushima Fallout Viewing Station, Bolinas Beach" Box art by Rachel JohnsonThe American Medical Association (AMA) recently passed a resolution asking the US "to monitor and fully report the radioactivity levels of edible Pacific Ocean species sold in the United States that could reasonably have been exposed to radiation from the ongoing Fukushima disaster...". Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network (FFAN), of which Beyond Nuclear is a coalition member, released a press statement applauding this recognition by the AMA that the US public has a right to know the contamination levels in their Pacific seafood and the potential health risks posed. FFAN now asks that the AMA support the official citizen petition effort to get the US FDA to lower allowable limits in our food supply generally. In addition, FFAN has created a public petition which will go to the FDA, US Congress and President Obama.