Chefs Say So Far So Good, But Will Remain Vigilant

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Could powerful radiation from those reactors in Japan be tainting the fish you’re eating here at home? While the government says no, some restaurant owners aren’t taking any chances.
At Le Bernardin in Manhattan fish is a way of life.

“Well our fish is the freshest, of course, and it comes from the best,” owner Eric Ripert told CBS 2’s Kristin Thorne.

But celebrity owner Ripert said he’s making sure of it. He’s testing every single piece of fish that comes through his door for radiation.
“Some of our clients started asking us some questions and they were concerned,” Ripert said.

The concern is over radiation in the Pacific Ocean. A leak in one of the nuclear reactors in tsunami-ravaged Japan has spewed tons of radioactive material into the ocean. The Food & Drug Administration is testing all fish that comes into the United States and so far they say they haven’t found any contamination. Neither has Ripert.

“For a week now we are using it on all products that come to the restaurant and so far it’s absolutely zero radiation,” Ripert said.

So the radiation tester is really very easy to use. They take it and they run it along the surface of the fish.

There’s no radiation tester at the Lobster Place in Chelsea Market, but manager Davis Herron said he’s sure his fish is radiation-free. “We deal will suppliers that we trust and we know,” Herron said.

David Wallis of the West Village said he isn’t worried. Thorne caught up with him just as he was about to dig into his Chesapeake soft shell crab roll. “We’re good. I don’t think it’s gotten to the Chesapeake yet,” Wallis said.

Debbie Cersosimo of West Hartford, Conn., said she’s just going to avoid fish for a while. “You get enough radiation in everything else. You go through exams and stuff like that. No thanks,” she said.

While there’s no immediate concern for our food supply, all eyes are on Japan as the situation continues to unfold.

Chefs Thorne spoke to said if you’re concerned about your fish, you should ask a restaurant or grocery store staff where the fish came from.

California has eight monitoring stations for radiation in addition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s air-monitoring sites. The public will be updated about radiation levels, officials said.
My question is, as it should be for everyone. Is it “SAFE” to Eat the Fish from the “PACIFIC OCEAN”?

On a national level, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is collecting information on all food products regulated by the agency that are exported to the U.S. from Japan, the FDA said. This is being done so that the agency can evaluate whether these products will pose a risk to consumers in the future. Get ready now…–> Survival Equipment for the Family

The FDA is not concerned about the safety of food products from Japan that have already been distributed, the agency said. The FDA already screens imports and is monitoring for any trace of increased radiation in imported products.

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Fukushima reaches US shores.   #2

My question is, as it should be for everyone. Is it “SAFE” to Eat the Fish from the “PACIFIC OCEAN”? We really need to “RESEARCH” further into this issue. The lies and cover ups. Why??? Did they know there was nothing anyone could do?

West Coast officials, Obama: Don’t worry about radiation risk in U.S. By Elizabeth Landau, CNN March 18, 2011 8:38 a.m. EDT

(CNN) — Instead of worrying about the unlikely event of harmful radiation drifting from Japan, Californians should focus on preparing for earthquakes and other emergencies common in their own state, officials said.

Radiation from the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan will dissipate over the more than 5,000 miles separating it from California, but eventually it may be detected in small, non-harmful amounts, said Dr. Howard Backer, interim director of the state Department of Public Health.

WILL YOU SURVIVE–>

“We do not anticipate any amounts of radiation that will cause any health effects,” Backer said Thursday.

In Washington, President Barack Obama went further in telling Americans not to worry.

There has been no detection of elevated levels of radiation on the West Coast, and experts say there is no way to predict how long it would take for radiation drifts to cross the Pacific. Even if that happens, the amount may be too small to be detected, experts said.

ARE YOU PREPARED?–>

Because of the way the radiation would likely travel, it would take “days” to reach the United States, and would probably first be detected in Alaska.

“There’s no marker that we can follow to know if any minimal radiation reaches the West Coast,” Backer said.

Meanwhile, some drugstores in California are running out of potassium iodide, which prevents some of radioactive iodine’s harm to the thyroid. State health officials don’t know how many people are preventatively taking potassium iodide, but they strongly discourage taking the medicine. It carries its own side effects, especially for people who have allergies to iodine, shellfish or who have thyroid problems.

Potassium iodide is part of the planning in communities around nuclear power plants in the state of California, in case of emergency, but will not be necessary in the U.S. for radiation from Japan, Backer said.

Rather than going out and getting potassium iodide, Backer said, Californians should buy a three- to five-day supply of food and water so that when their earthquake-prone state has its next temblor, they can be self-sufficient.

California has eight monitoring stations for radiation in addition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s air-monitoring sites. The public will be updated about radiation levels, officials said.

And although radiation may get into ocean water drifting from Japan, there are no concerns about surfers or bathers at California’s beaches, said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The radiation will disperse so quickly that there will not be a significant increase of radioactive material in seafood either, Backer said. WHAT WILL YOU EAT? click hereOn a national level, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is collecting information on all food products regulated by the agency that are exported to the U.S. from Japan, the FDA said. This is being done so that the agency can evaluate whether these products will pose a risk to consumers in the future. Get ready now…–> Survival Equipment for the Family

The FDA is not concerned about the safety of food products from Japan that have already been distributed, the agency said. The FDA already screens imports and is monitoring for any trace of increased radiation in imported products.

“The biggest health impact is the psychological impact,” Fielding said.

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