Source:
New York TimesTOKYO — Traces of radioactive cesium thought to be from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were detected in Japanese baby formula on Tuesday as concerns about food safety continue almost nine months after the accident.
Meiji, the Tokyo company that makes the powdered formula, announced the recall of 400,000 cans of it as a precaution, but said the levels of cesium detected were well below the government’s safety limits. Tests found a combined 30.8 becquerels per kilogram of cesium 134 and cesium 137, the company said, compared with the government limit of 200, the company said. (A becquerel is a frequently used measurement of radiation.)
Babies could still “drink the formula every day without any effect on their health,” Meiji said in a statement.
Infants and young children are thought to be especially vulnerable to radiation exposure, which can increase risks of cancer and other illnesses.
Read more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/world/asia/cesium-found-in-japanese-baby-formula.html
Much more at the link!
Babies could still “drink the formula every day without any effect on their health,” Meiji said in a statement.
:eyes:
And what about in conjunction with all the other elevated levels of radioactive contamination in the environment and other food?
FYI, the half-life of cesium 134 and 137 is 2 years and 30 years, respectively.
PB