Is anyone monitoring food packaging imports for radiation contamination

March 21, 2011 3:01 PM

The FDA is monitoring regulated products being imported from Japan for radiation levels, does this include all Japanese made materials that are used for food packaging in the USA ?

Polymeric films for food packaging can be contaminated by and retain radioactive materials. I have not seen any information indicating that the FDA is specifically monitoring food packaging materials entering the US that have been produced in and transported from Japan.

posted by zantro to Science & Nature (1 answer total)

Nearly 100% of cargo arriving at US ports are scanned for radiological material to detect people importing nasty stuff like nuclear bombs. These sensors are sensitive enough that bananas will sometimes set them off.

This of course doesn't answer your question, but the chance of significant amounts of radiation would make it from Japan (Where, honestly, the radiation levels are only a hairsbreadth above negligible) are virtually null.
posted by Ookseer at 9:19 PM on March 21, 2011