Panel lowers limit of radiation in food | The Japan Times Online

Experts quiz decision to ignore external exposure

Health minister Yoko Komiyama announced Friday that the government will lower the allowable amount of radiation in food products from 5 millisieverts per year to 1, but some experts are puzzled...Citing findings from various studies, the food safety panel concluded Thursday that a cumulative dose of 100 millisieverts or more throughout one's lifetime poses significant health risks.

But experts question the focus solely on internal exposure from food and drink, while ignoring external exposure from radioactive materials, such as fallout on the ground, roofs and in ditches.

"I can't think of a reason why they decided to omit external exposure as a factor in the proposal this time," said Dr. Eisuke Matsui, who heads the Gifu Environmental Medicine Research Institute.

The radiology expert noted that while consuming food contaminated with radiation is a far bigger risk to human health than being exposed to radiation from the environment, it does not mean it can be disregarded.

"Think of the children in the cities of Fukushima or Minamisoma, where there is a relatively high level of radiation in the environment," Matsui said. "Any guideline on radiation should consider the total exposure and not only the limit of contaminated food one can consume."

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