The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Scotland has confirmed that changes have been made to the rules governing seafood sampling around Dounreay nuclear site that helps monitor radioactivity.
The changes will reduce wastage while continuing to protect the public’s health and the environment.
Site operator, Dounreay Site Restoration (DSRL), had informed the agency that excess seafood was being removed from the restricted zone as a result of sampling procedures put in place in 1997, and requested a revision. In response, the FSA and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) agreed a new process with them. This enables sufficient material for radiological analysis to be collected, while allowing excess seafoods and non-food species to be returned to the environment.
In 1997, in the wake of the discovery of radioactive particles around Dounreay, restrictions were placed on fishing and collecting seafood from a zone of centred on the end of the Dounreay liquid discharge pipeline.
These restrictions were put in place by the then Scottish office by an order made under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. To allow food safety risk to be assessed, a ‘sampling consent’ was issued, which allows the site operator and SEPA to take seafoods from within the FEPA zone.
At the time, there was little information on the particles or the risk they might pose to the food chain. The procedure adopted was therefore very cautious and did not allow for seafood in excess of that required for analysis to be returned, as there was a possibility that this could involve reintroducing radioactively contaminated material to the sea. This by-catch was therefore returned to shore and disposed of to landfill.
Following FEPA designation, extensive research was undertaken under advice from the independent Dounreay Particles Advisory Group set up by SEPA. This provided a wealth of data on the particles and their movement in the marine environment so they are now much better understood. Using these data, the agency published a risk assessment in March 2009 indicating that the food chain risk was minimal.
Sampling is undertaken by DSRL, primarily catching crab and lobster by setting creels each month. In 2010, a surplus of more than 900 crabs and more than 200 lobsters was taken, amounting to almost 40kg of crab and over 30kg of lobster meat ending up in landfill. Only about 10 crabs and five lobsters are needed each month to provide sufficient meat for analysis.
Source: FSA
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