Radiation found in West Coast milk. What's safe to eat and drink?

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(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

First the scary news: Trace amounts of radiation have been found in milk from Washington and California. It's believed that the radioactive agents were transferred as isotopes from Japan to the West Coast through wind, absorbed in the grass, which was then eaten by dairy farm cows.
Now the good news: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency released a joint statement that the iodine-131 they found in the milk was "far below levels of public health concern, including for infants and children." In fact, the levels were 5000 times below the legal limit prescribed by the FDA.

While, the radioactivity isn't likely to increase in local milk, it's not going away until reactors stop releasing toxic plumes.  The big concern over iodine-131 exposure is an increase risk of thyroid cancer. But according to the FDA, milk would have to contain 4,600 pico-Curies of radiation per liter for it to be a real danger. Right now, the contamination is measured at 0.8 pico-Curies. The findings have prompted the EPA to increase their testing, not only of local dairy products, but also of rainwater and air.

But if local products are at risk, how safe is food imported from Japan?

Fruits, dairy and veggies from the areas affected by radioactivity are the most toxic imports, which is why the FDA has temporarily banned their distribution in the U.S. since the nuclear disasters. But exposure to tainted food is only really harmful if eaten in mass quantities, according to the F.D.A. Most dairy products aren't important from Japan, but veggies like broccoli, onions, spinach and Wasabi root, grown in the area were found to be contaminated and banned from importation.  

Two major imports that haven't been banned by the FDA are fish and seafood products, which many expertshave deemed safe for consumption since seawater dilutes radiation. Like the rest of the 4 percent of food imported from the country, the products are being monitored and tested for contamination as a precaution. Still, the World Health Organization warns that little is still known about potential health risks and advises against eating fish caught near Japan's most toxic areas.

The big risk from eating contaminated food is exposure to cancer-causing agents, which infants can be particularly vulnerable to. But because of the FDA's monitoring and the fact that radioactive agents in food have a half life of 8 days, the likelihood of dangerous exposure is fairly low. The big key is to stay informed. Check for daily updates on food warnings at the FDA's website.

Related:
The big nuclear power question
How kids in Japan are helping in the recovery
The disaster in Japan and how you can help 

Related: study, radioactivity, milk, japan, food, f.d.a.