Food News

In some samples of wild boar meat and wild mushrooms, the official inspection bodies still found elevated levels of Cs¹³⁷ in a few cases in 2021.

In 2021, the Chemical and Veterinary Inspection Authorities of Stuttgart and Freiburg carried out measurements on more than 1300 food samples for the radioactive element cesium-137. Fortunately, in almost 90% of the samples the measured activity was in the range of 0.1 - 3 Bq/kg, i.e. very far below the legal limit of 600 Bq/kg. However, limit exceedances were measured in individual samples of wild boar meat from contaminated regions in Baden-Württemberg, which greatly exceeded the limit.

The front-runner was a wild boar from the region around Biberach, in which 3,870 Bq/kg were measured. All samples taken from butchers and restaurants, however, remained without objection. In imported wild mushrooms, a maximum value of 51 Bq/kg was found; in domestic forest mushrooms, the highest measured value was 201 Bq/kg. Also in imported wild blueberries only minor Cs137 levels could be detected.  

YOUR PLUS: We carry out analyses of radioactive contamination of foodstuffs and animal feed using accredited methods in our large radiochemical laboratory at the AGROLAB LUFA site in Kiel. Our range of tests includes Cs¹³⁴/Cs¹³⁷/J¹³¹/Co⁶⁰ by gamma spectroscopy and we can also measure the beta emitter Sr⁹⁰.

Link: www.ua-bw.de