Safeguarding Food Safety: South Korea Sets Limits and Detection Methods for Tritium in Food

On December 20th, the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) issued guidelines outlining the detection methods and limits for tritium in food. The key highlights of the announcement are as follows:

1. Scope: The guidelines pertain to the detection of tritium radioactivity in aquatic products.

2. Detection Method: High-temperature incineration is employed to decompose the aquatic products, followed by the collection and distillation of tritium. Liquid scintillation counting is then used for detection, with a detection limit of 50 Bq/kg.

3. Total Tritium Limits: Infant food should have a tritium level below 1000 Bq/kg, while other food items should stay below 10,000 Bq/kg. "Other food" refers to all food items excluding infant food, such as infant formula, growing-up formula, infant complementary food, special infant formula, infant formula milk, growing-up formula milk, raw milk and dairy products, and ice cream.

South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has taken proactive measures to ensure food safety by establishing limits and detection methods for tritium in food. By implementing stringent guidelines, the country aims to protect consumers from excessive tritium exposure. These regulations underscore the government's commitment to maintaining high standards of food safety and preserving public health.