Radiation detectionUniversal Detection developing smartphone radiation scanner for food

In the wake of Japan’s nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi atomic energy plant, concerns over contaminated food supplies have swept the nation, sparking Universal Detection Technology to developa smartphone radiation detector specifically designed for comestibles.

With the help of Honeywell International, Universal Detection is currently at work modifying its Cesium Iodide Scintillator (CIS) to work with smartphones. CIS is a handheld device capable of detecting toxic amounts of iodide on most surfaces including food.

To make it more consumer friendly, the two firms are creating a smartphone app that uses Bluetooth technology to detect a food item’s gamma radiation levels and send it back to the smartphone’s CIS application to process it.

The app also contains a social media function where users can share the information they obtained with the device.

Currently Japanese consumers are highly wary of consuming food after it was revealed that contaminated beef, dairy, spinach, baby food, and fish had made its way into stores. Some contaminated food items were found to contain five times the legal limit of Iodine 131.

Contaminated food is difficult to detect without sophisticated equipment as it is tasteless and invisible to the naked eye. If consumed in large quantities, exposure to trace amounts of radioactive materials can lead to an increased likelihood of developing cancer.

Scientists say most adults will not experience any serious health consequences from eating food contaminated by the Fukushima disaster, but babies are at greatest risk as they are still growing and particularly vulnerable.