Belarus refutes information about excess of radionuclides in milk

Belarus has refuted information about the excess of radionuclides in milk analyzed by journalists of the Associated Press. The agency published an article stating that milk from a farm situated not far from the contamination zone and delivered to the enterprise Milkavita had been examined in Minsk Hygiene and Epidemiology Centre on April 25. The amount of strontium-90 in the milk exceeded he norm by ten times.

According to deputy chief physician of Minsk Epidemiology and Hygiene Centre Pyotr Amvrosiyeu, the amount of strontium -137 was normal (below 100 Bq).

The amount of strontium-90 was not checked because there was not enough milk for it, he said. It was indicated in the laboratory registry on April 13.

However, Yuras Karmanau (author of the article) told BelaPAN that he had a report from the centre stating that the amount of strontium-90 exceeded the norm by 10 times. Karmanau refused to show the document explaining it by his commitments to the Associated Press. The farmer who delivered the milk to Milkavita never checks his milk and the enterprise usually accepts his products without any problems, the journalist added.

The journalist contacted representatives of the enterprise an told them about the results of the check-up. They check milk for strontium-90 every six months, they explained. The information about the excess of radionuclides in the milk is inaccurate, Milkavita stated.

"The control of the amount of radiocunclides in dairy produces has been very strict in Belarus for 30 years. All dairy products are checked according to the official republican schedule,” the enterprise announced.

"The milk containing too much radionuclides is not accepted at the enterprise. We never had to return milk to producers in the past few years,” Milkavita representatives said.

Furthermore, the dairy products made by Milkavita also go through radiological examination, they added.

"Milkavita has been supplying dairy products to Russia since 2006. No cases of exceeding the norm of radionuclides in the milk have been revealed since then,” the enterprise representatives stressed.