In 2019, ARPANSA collaborated with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to assess the radiation exposure to Australians from radionuclides in the types of food products typically consumed in Australia. Radiation exposures from both natural and artificial sources of radiation were considered.
The key findings were:
- radiation levels in these foods are very low and would not present any health concerns.
- naturally occurring radionuclides were detected in most foods, at varying concentrations
- anthropogenic radionuclides Co-60, Cs-134 and Am-241 were not detected in any food product, while low levels of Cs-137 were detected in some foods
- radiation dose estimates were much less than the reference level of 1 mSv/year for existing radiation exposure situations
This study provides Australia with valuable insight and a reference for normal radiation levels in our diet. Having a picture of the average baseline level or radiation exposure Australians receive from food in a year allows us to better monitor any change over time, or changes due to any future nuclear events.
While ARPANSA conducted the food testing and dose estimations for the report, Food Standards Australia New Zealand played an integral role in developing a model of the typical Australian diet and selecting food samples for analysis.
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