Current Health and Environmental Updates

From time to time, some of our customers ask questions about current health-related environmental concerns relating to some of the products that we sell.  We will be posting the results of our research on these issues, for your information, on this page.

Re: Fukushima Nuclear Accident, 2011: radiation and sea salt safety

Many sources actually recommend taking sea salt to combat the effects of radiation, but a few customers are still asking about the possible effects of radiation from Fukushima on sea salt quality and safety. 

We firmly believe that there will not be any problems relating to radiation from Fukushima from the 2011 sea salt harvest in Algarve, Southern Portugal. This area is one of the least affected by radiation from Fukushima globally. Please read the following statement from Marisol®:

Marisol®'s statement on Fukushima and the radiation and sea salt safety question: May 30, 2011

The Portuguese Environmental Agency monitors atmospheric radioactivity through a program called RADNET - national radiation monitoring system (13 stations throughout Portugal). Since the Fukushima Nuclear Accident there have not been any levels which have been significant or dangerous and the Faro station has indicated results mainly below 80nS/h, even after the incident (pre-Fukushima values on average 76nS/h, today's monitoring data shows 75nS/h). Atmospheric radioactivity levels in southern Portugal are the lowest in the country - you can check this out on the RADNET page

We have followed the monitoring reports from the Agency which works hand in hand with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and these have repeatedly reassured that radioactivity levels in Portugal have not shown any significance increase after the Fukushima incident. The radiation particles which reached the Azores and the mainland were residual in quantity, similar to natural radiation levels found in rocks and soil. The IAEA reports on seawater monitoring have shown a significant decrease in radioactivity levels in the 80km radius around Fukushima. It is important to remember that due to geographic localization Portugal is not a territory where the global distribution of atmospheric particles is worrying. Authorities have assured that Europe has been one of the least affected areas worldwide.