Emergency Ministry checks information on high radiation levels in milk

Department for liquidation of consequences of the Chernobyl disaster at the Ministry of Emergency Situations began checks after the information about the excessive amounts of radionuclides in milk from Khoiniki district. The information was published by the Associated Press.

The information about the checks was reported to BelaPAN by First Deputy Head of 
Department, Anatol Zahorski.

The article of the Associated Press reported that the Homiel enterprise "Milkavita" is gatting milk with excess of radiation. The check for radionuclides in the Minsk center of Hygiene and Epidemiology, journalist Yuras Karmanau reports, showed a tenfold excess of strontium-90.

In the Minsk-based Hygiene and Epidemiology Center this information is refuted. They say that the amount of cesium-137 in milk conform to the standards, and the check of the strontium-90 was not carried out due to small amount of delivered milk. The publication was also called inaccurate by the "Milkavita" company.

Department for liquidation of consequences of the Chernobyl disaster made inquiries about the farm in the Homiel Oblast Executive Committee. Also, representatives of the Ministry asked for clarification to the "Milkavita" company and to the laboratory, where the milk had been tested.

The answer, according to Zahorski, only come from "Milkavita". The company said that they had organized a strict control of the radionuclides amount in milk and milk products, and there were no excessive radionuclides found in the product.