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No sanitary risk after the volcanic eruption
Belgium
Wednesday 28 April 2010
FJ
Ashes of the Icelandic volcano stopped the European air transports but will have no sanitary consequences.
Further to a demand of the European Commission, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) returned an opinion on the sanitary risks for the food and the food safety after the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland, on April 14th.
The experts of the EFSA concentrated on the possible sanitary dangers of the fluoride, identified as the main element coming from volcanic ashes which can cause a short-term risk on the food safety.
The EFSA has concludes that according to the available information, the risk of contamination (due to Fluorine in volcanic ashes), in drinking water, fruits, vegetables, fishes, milk, meat and animals food in the European Union is unimportant.
Consequently, the risk for the human and animal health by food is not considered as a subject of concern in the EU.
In its evaluation, the EFSA recognizes uncertainties, as the dispersal of ashes in the air, how much ashes fell in the EU, lack of data on the composition of ashes in the EU, and the geographical zones able to have been touched.
source : efsa
