§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the permissible radioactivity levels in food agreed at the recent European Economic Community Council of Ministers meeting.
§ Mr. Donald Thompson[holding answer 1 February 1988]: Council Regulation (Euratom) No. 3954/87 of 22 December 1987 lays down the procedure for determining the maximum permitted levels of radioactive contamination of foodstuffs and feedingstuffs which may be placed on the market following a future nuclear emergency. The levels specified are as follows:
571W
Maximum permitted levels for foodstuffs and feedingstuffs (Bq/kg or Bq/l) Baby foods1 Dairy produce2 3 Other foodstuffs except minor foodstuffs4 Liquid foodstuffs5 Feedingstuffs6 Isotopes of strontium, notably Sr-90 — 125 750 — — Isotopes of iodine notably I-131 — 500 2,000 — — Alpha-emitting isotopes of plutonium and transplutonium elements, notably Pu-239, Am-241 — 20 80 — — All other nuclides of half-life greater than 10 days, notably Cs-134, Cs-1377 — 1,000 1,250 — — 1 Baby foods are defined as those foodstuffs intended for the feeding of infants during the first four to six months of life, which meet, in themselves, the nutritional requirements of this category of person and are put up for retail sale in packages which are clearly identified and labelled 'food preparation for infants'. Values to be established. 2 Dairy produce is defined as milk falling within headings Nos. 04.01 and 04.02 of the Common Customs Tariff, and the corresponding headings of the combined nomenclature as from 1 January 1988. 3 The level applicable to concentrated or dried products shall be calculated on the basis of the reconstituted product as ready for consumption. 4 Minor foodstuffs and the corresponding levels to be applied to them will be as defined in accordance with Article 7. 5 Liquid foodstuffs as defined by Chapters 20 and 22 of the Common Customs Tariff and by the corresponding Chapter of the combined nomenclature as from 1 January 1988. Values are calculated taking into account consumption of tap-water and the same values should be applied to drinking water supplies at the discretion of competent authorities in member states. Values for liquid foodstuffs to be established. 6 Values to be established. 7 Carbon 14 and tritium are not included in this group. This regulation entered into force on 3 January 1988 alongside Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3955/87 which continues the controls on imports of agricultural products from third countries introduced following the Chernobyl accident.