- Japanese government is going to raise the safety limit for infant
Councilor of radiation belonging to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare returned the report to allow them to raise the safety limit of infant food, which is from 50 Bq/Kg to 100 Bq/Kg.
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has been asking the councilor for the opinion which is more friendly to agricultural industry.
As the reason, the councilor states even if an infant takes 100 Bq/Kg of food everyday, the yearly internal dose would be less than 1 mSv.
However, even this limit may be raised because some of the stakeholder of fishing and agricultural industry claim it is still too strict, it’s harmful for the reconstruction of the disaster area.
The councilor mentioned variety of stakeholders should be involved in making the new safety rule. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is going to effectuate the new rule as of April.
Source
- Japan’s Ministry of Education Radiation Council: No Need to Have Stricter Standard for Radiation for Food for Infants (EX-SKF, Feb. 2, 2012):
Because “we have to make sure producers are not inconvenienced”.
The Radiation Council of the Ministry of Education and Science issued its response after deliberating on the new safety standard for radioactive cesium in food submitted by the Ministry of Health and Labor.
First, from Mainichi Shinbun (2/2/2012):
セシウム新基準値:乳児用食品100ベクレルに…答申案
Report on new standard for radioactive cesium: 100 becquerels/kg for infant food
厚生労働省の諮問を受け、食品の放射性セシウムの新基準値案を審議していた文部科学省の放射線審議会(会長・丹羽太貫京都大名誉教授)は2日、乳児用食品 と牛乳について、1キロあたり50ベクレルを100ベクレルに緩めてもよいとする答申案をまとめた。次回に最終案を厚労省に答申する。
The Radiation Council of the Ministry of Education and Science has been deliberating on the new safety standards for radioactive cesium in food set by the Ministry of Health and Labor. On February 2, the council compiled its report that said it would be OK to loosen the standards for food and milk for infants from 50 becquerels/kg to 100 becquerels/kg. In the next meeting, the council will submit its final report to the Ministry of Health and Labor.
審議会では「乳児も含めどの年齢層でも、1キロあたり100ベクレルの食品を摂取し続けても、年間被ばく限度の1ミリシーベルト以内に収まる」との意見が 大勢を占め、子供の健康は十分に守られるとの見解で一致した。新基準値案は農漁業生産者に厳しすぎ、被災地の復興にも影響を与える可能性があるとの意見も 出た。答申案には「基準値の決定にさまざまな関係者が関与すべきだ」と記された。
The majority of the council expressed the view that “for all age groups including infants, the annual [internal] radiation exposure would be within 1 millisievert even if they continue to consume food with 100 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium”, and all agreed that the health of children would be well protected. Some said the new standards would be too harsh for fishermen and farmers, and the standards might negatively affect the recovery of the disaster-affected areas. The council’s report also says “all stakeholders should participate in deciding the new standards”.
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