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Food Standards Agency
Saturday 4 July 2009
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Radioactivity in food programme (R04)
Details of the Agency-funded radioactivity in food programme
Introduction
The Food Standards Agency has a strategic objective of reducing the risks to consumers from chemical and radiological contamination of foods. It needs to be able to measure concentrations of radioactive material in food and assess the significance of the measurements by estimating the exposure that consumers, particularly those living close to a nuclear sites, may receive. Radioactivity can be present in the food chain from natural sources, as a result of authorised discharges from industry or as a result of emergencies caused by accidents or deliberate actions.
To ensure that food does not contain unacceptable levels of radioactivity, the FSA has three major tasks. First, it monitors food to ensure that current activities are not causing unacceptable levels of radioactivity in foods. Second, it assesses the impact of proposed and actual discharges from nuclear sites and third, it plans and exercises its response to emergencies at nuclear sites or following terrorist incidents.
Aims
Work in this programme is required to:
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Enable the FSA to measure the levels of radioactivity in food,
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Meet its statutory requirements to report information on the concentration of radioactivity in food to the European Commission.
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Assist the Agency to quantify the risks to different groups of consumers from radioactivity in foods.
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Respond to nuclear emergencies and terrorist incidents involving radioactivity, measuring radioactivity levels and assessing the risk to the public and participating in remediation efforts.
Abstract
Areas of Activity
The programme seeks to cover the three key areas of monitoring, assessment and emergency response.
Monitoring
The FSA�s monitoring programme will measure annually the concentrations of natural and artificial radioactivity in foods and other relevant samples obtained from close to nuclear sites in England and Wales. It will use the results of these measurements to estimate annual doses to the public.
Output from the programme will include:
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the publication of measured levels and estimated doses in the annual series of Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE) reports.
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the measurement of radioactivity concentrations in food grown well away from nuclear sites and in food served in canteens as part of the UK�s obligations under the Euratom Treaty.
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the commissioning of work to ensure that there are no previously unidentified but significant routes of radiological exposure to consumers via food pathways, thus ensuring the effectiveness of the monitoring programme.
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surveys performed on other foods that may contain enhanced concentrations of radioactivity if intelligence indicates a potential problem.
Assessment of the Effects of Discharges
The FSA uses predictive modelling tools as part of its capability for assessing the effect of proposed discharges and attention will focus on ensuring these computer models are comprehensive and up to date.
Output specific to assessment capability will include:
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the development of probabilistic models for both the terrestrial and aquatic food chains, which will continue to address uncertainty in model predictions.
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investigation, in conjunction with other Government Departments, to the degree for which communities living close to nuclear sites make use of locally produced foods. This work will also be used to support the FSA�s work as a member of the National Dose Assessment Working Group, which involves a wide range of stakeholders.
Emergency Response
The FSA has a strategic objective to act promptly over food safety incidents.
The programme will specifically address radiological emergencies and the FSA will continue to develop its plans and procedures. The FSA will use the work in the monitoring and exposure assessment themes to support its response to emergencies involving radioactive material.
Work will address:
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monitoring capabilities and the development of the FSA�s facilities to perform rapid analysis of food and environmental samples in an emergency situation.
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the commissioning work to enable the FSA to respond to all emergency scenarios (e.g. marine releases, CBRN activities).
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the Agency�s ability to support remediation efforts and countermeasures including management of the restrictions still in place following the Chernobyl accident.
Rationale
The research will enable the FSA:
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to provide better information to the public and contribute to reductions in the exposures
received by the public thereby reducing health costs.
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to help reduce the damage to the reputation of some foods and food sources. In particular, the Agency will be more confident in countering inaccurate and misleading information about levels of radioactivity in foods.
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to investigate, through the habit survey programme included in this research, the public use and consumption of foods produced near nuclear sites and other aspects of life style which affects the public�s exposure to radioactivity.
Part of the cost of this research is recoverable from the nuclear industry under the provisions of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993.
Contact for further information
Name
: Stuart Conney
Tel
: 0207 276 8782
Email
:
stuart.conney@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
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