The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today confirms the detection of a minute trace of Iodine-131 in three milk samples taken in Ireland over last weekend on behalf of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII).  It states that the levels identified in the samples are minuscule and pose no concern for consumer health.

The RPII reported levels of 0.13, 0.19 and 0.18 becquerels*/litre (Bq/l).  The maximum level of Iodine-131 permitted under EU law is 500Bq/kg for dairy produce.

Commenting Prof Alan Reilly, Chief Executive, FSAI said the legal limits set to protect consumer health are thousands of times greater than what has been detected in the milk samples.  The permitted legal limit is also based on a stringent precautionary approach.

 “Consumers should have absolutely no concerns in relation to this finding.  A person would have to drink some 96,000 litres of milk with Iodine-131 at current levels to exceed the annual safe limit set to protect consumers,” said Prof Reilly.  “We had expected that such traces could occur given recent weather conditions, as it was already detected in the air.  There was some evidence that the spread of contamination from Japan, albeit at an extremely low level, would eventually be found here. Similar findings of low levels of Iodine-131 in milk have also been reported from France and Greece.”