} 410452 © Racloaet ie. Tans TT “AL. = nal é March 1, 1955 MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW Mr. S. W. F. Hansen, Representative of the British Ministry Betweens of Food, attached to British Embassy, Washington, D.C. < John L, Harvey, Deputy Commissioner of Food and Drugs James R. Cribbett, Division of Field Operations Mr. Hansen called to obtain information on our experience with tuna from Japan. The inquiry was at the request of his Goverment. Since the request was classified SECREY hy the British Goverment, the precise nature of it will not be discussed in this memoranhm. prior to Mr. Hansen's visit, we had decided that we wuld discuss oniy public or unclassified information. Howevar, since public information on this Lu problex is extremely meager, it was evident that Mr. Hansen could not — << but unclassified, information in our possession. o. also mentioned that the only tuna imported from Japan into the obtain a true picture of the situation unless we discussed unpublished, z> Mr. Hansen made it clear that the British Government desires to avoid making any official pronouncement which is at variance with O O = wo uj m British Isles ia canned. pronouncements or policy of the Government of the Mhited States. We furnished Mr. Hansen the following informations 1. We cescrided how we monitored each frozen tima imported frown: Japan with portable geiger counters from the riddle of Karch, 195), until several months later. checked canned tuna during that period. <2 an ee Oo a ry ship fron Japan. We subsequently reduced these checks to a portion of the cargo from every 2nd, 3rd, or hth shipment, and ended our monitoring during the month of $o ; Oe also set up a monitoring system whereby any tuna showing an ectivity greater than background was destroyed. reduced our checking to a portion of the cargo of each re) og aa Qo We alse The Japanese had After several mont.s of essentially negative findinzs, we bl & eo He September. i m *. 1 . cy ie phd CT np te The Japanese eventually established a tolerance of 100 counts per minute, including tackground, for the tara. A few months ago the Japanese raised this tolerance to oF i! ~ [e | operat ing under these figcr:s (.@ percentage of fish rojected because of radiocaciivity was « very suall part fy qo wp 500 counts per minute. is)’ a 1a, ‘ a fx ; of the catch. Our reconis indicate that when (altho gh we did not sc state to Mr. Ranzen, z, hoe ue ' 3 - ot, WOLSTARY RESEARCH & APPL 7% Sk. sbawe ea. ue ine eres Zo