Regulations for radioisotope content in food- and feedstuffs

The regulation of contamination levels in food and feed should be made in connection to each other, and described here is a guideline level system with decision rules for radionuclide content in foodstuffs and feedstuffs. Levels for foodstuffs are derived from the general dose limits established by the International Committee of Radiological Protection. For foodstuffs, two levels are suggested: tolerance level for normal situations based on 0.1 mSv/year ingestion dose, and acceptance level for prolonged emergency situations based on 1 mSv/year committed effective dose, with the application of a protection factor of 5 and 3, for children younger than one year and adults, respectively. Current legislation does not contain any derived limits for normal everyday use; however, it is necessary to incorporate limits soon, not only because of the wide use of nuclear technology but also the threat of violent events where foodstuffs are as a vehicle. In addition, technologically enhanced natural isotopes can also cause problems. The derivation of the acceptance level in feedstuffs is based on the suggested acceptance level in foodstuffs, in addition to the latest literature review of transfer coefficients performed in the frame of the Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety program of the International Atomic Energy Authority.