Myth: It’s not safe to eat food imported from Japan.

Answer: BUSTED!

As of today no food is being exported from the affected area of Japan. The Food and Drug Administration is continuing its systematic efforts to screen food imports and get information about where they are grown, harvested or manufactured. FDA has a list of companies and manufacturing facilities in the affected area of Japan and will pay special attention to imports from those locations. You can read more about how food is tracked for safety at http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm247403.htm.

Common foods that come from Japan include seafood, snack foods, dairy foods, processed fruits and vegetables and dietary supplements. All foods imported from Japan make up less than 4 percent of foods imported from all sources. Dairy products make up only one-tenth of one percent of all FDA-regulated products coming from Japan. Less than two percent of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported from Japan.

Visit the MissouriFamilies website for more information about food safety.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933