Manx-produced food is 100 per cent safe - and that's official.

That bold endorsement from the Environment Minister after the latest radiation test results from the Government Laboratory.

Its annual report for 2006 found no hazardous levels of radioactivity in foods ranging from shellfish to milk and meat products.

But despite being given a clean bill of health, traces of contamination can still be found in some of the seafood we consume.

Marian Kenny has the details:

(Text of attached audio)
According to the Government Laboratory contamination detected in seafood is no cause for concern.

Lovers of local seafood are likeley to receive no more than 2% of the acceptable radiation exposure limit.

The disturbance of seabed sediments close to Sellafield in Cumbria - by natural causes such as storms - may account for traces of Technetium 99 persisting in locally caught lobsters.

The report says discharges into the Irish Sea ARE falling but the decline is slow.

Environment Minister John Shimmin (pictured) says he accepts that there is no present health risk from Sellafield - but emphasises the government will continue to press for its closure.