Pohang City Seafood Quality Control Center Strengthens Food Safety with Radioactivity Testing of Seafood

Strengthening Seafood Safety Inspections and Conducting Radiation Monitoring

Alleviating Concerns over Contaminated Water Discharge and Transparent Disclosure of Inspection Results

As the discharge of contaminated water from the Japanese nuclear power plant approaches, raising deep concerns among citizens, Pohang City introduced radiation inspection equipment on the 15th and held a demonstration to enhance the safety of local seafood.

Deputy Mayor Kim Nam-il visited the Seafood Quality Control Center and observed the measurement of radioactivity using radiation inspection equipment, urging transparent and reliable testing to alleviate public concerns.

The radiation inspection equipment established by Pohang City is of equivalent specifications to those used by national institutions such as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Fisheries Quality Management Service, and includes an automated sample exchange device capable of analyzing up to eight samples per day.

With the installation of this equipment, Pohang City can conduct rapid and precise inspections on fishery products landed and distributed locally, which is expected to alleviate consumer anxiety following the decision to discharge contaminated water from the nuclear power plant.

The Pohang Seafood Quality Management Center, where the equipment is installed, operates as the first local government-designated self-quality inspection agency for seafood, conducting over 100 hygiene inspections annually on seafood produced in the region such as Gwamegi, snow crab, squid, rock eel, and rock octopus.

With enhanced inspection capabilities, the center has added three types of radiation tests (Iodine-131, Cesium-134 + Cesium-137) to the existing inspections for about ten types of foodborne pathogens, strengthening seafood safety. In the future, a seafood radiation monitoring participation group will be formed with the involvement of consumers and civic groups to ensure transparent and reliable inspections.

The results of radiation inspections conducted by the center will be disclosed on the Pohang City website (Information by Sector - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries - Seafood Radiation Inspection Status) to ease citizens' concerns. Additionally, radiation-related support will be added to customized hygiene management projects for producer groups and seafood processing workers to enhance the safety and market competitiveness of small-scale local fisheries.

Furthermore, Pohang City has newly hired a researcher licensed as a fisheries disease manager in preparation for the discharge of radioactive contaminated water. A fisheries disease manager is an expert who diagnoses or prevents diseases in aquatic organisms, once referred to as a fish doctor, and is a rare license held by only about 1,000 people.

The city expects that through this recruitment, the Seafood Quality Management Center will strengthen its capabilities as a professional inspection institution and emerge as a key organization on the East Coast verifying seafood safety not only against radioactive contaminated water discharge but also ongoing safety issues.

Deputy Mayor Kim Nam-il stated, “With growing concerns due to the trial operation of the Fukushima radioactive contaminated water discharge facility, we will do our best to ensure citizens can feel safe,” adding, “We will support various inspections and promotions to respond to the decline in consumer confidence in seafood.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.