Theres been a lot of hand wringing in the media lately about seafood from Japan. You know, the seafood t hat makes up a total of less than 1 tenth of 1 percent of the seafood we eat in the United States.

Some of that nervous pontification by intrepid reporters has led to some rather embarrassing reporting mistakes, like the story ABC News did where it tracked tuna migrating from Japan to the West coast of the U.S. and there was much hand wringing to be had. However, their cartoonish, over simplified, migration exaggeration failed to take into account that right now the tuna are nowhere near the affected area and likely wouldnt come within a thousand miles ooops.

Today Food Safety News does a very good job of cutting thought the hyperbole and getting to the facts. A professor of Radilogic Physics at the Mayo Clinic (who also happens to be Chairman of the American College of Radiology’s Safety Committee) explains that, “If someone were to eat seafood or seaweed within one kilometer from the discharge point for a year, they would get the equivalent of 1/10 of their normal background radiation and I think the key here is that detection doesn’t mean harm.

Its a solid article that stands out amongst a sea of misinformation.

Only one bone to pick– Food and Water Watch is quoted, never one to shy aware from an opportunity to scare consumers and bash the FDA. They are out with their tired old line about the FDA not being equipped to test all the seafood coming in from Japan. Lets get some perspective peoplethere is essentially no seafood coming in from Japan right now and, again, when it does come in it makes up less than 1 tenth of 1 percent of the seafood we eat in this country. FDA, EPA, NOAA and other Federal agencies are already coordinating as part of this regulatory effort (an effort that will not shut down if the government closes.)

So, who should you look to as a source on food safety and radiation from Japan, an expert in Radilogic Physics from the Mayo Clinic or a lobbying operation in D.C. that employs a former environmental consultant with a law degree, a policy analyst, a researcher and a legislative coordinator (yes, another lawyer)?

Im going with the Mayo Clinic ya know just to be safe.