Irradiation of Foods - alert on labeling changes in the U.S.

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

FDA proposes allowing irradiation of some food without labeling it as

such - The FDA will accept public comments on the proposal for 90

days, from April 3, 2007

http://www.startribune.com/484/story/1098868.html

Here's some other articles about irradiation of foods:

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/food/irradiation/index.html

Since 1986, all irradiated products must carry the international

symbol called a radura, which resembles a stylized flower. See a

radura symbol here:

http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/irradiation/

Treated with irradiation or Treated by irradiation - FDA requires

that both the logo and statement appear on packaged foods, bulk

containers of unpackaged foods, " on placards at the point of purchase

(for fresh produce), " and on invoices for irradiated ingredients and

products sold to food processors.

That means that fresh meats and produce only have to have a point of

purchase placard.

U.S. Foods approved for irradiation:

Beef (and beef byproducts)

Fresh shell eggs

Enzymes dry and hydrated)

Fruit (domestic and imported)

Fruit juice

Herbs (dried)

Horsemeat (and horsemeat byproducts)

Lamb (and lamb byproducts)

Pork (and pork byproducts)

Poultry

Sprouting seeds

Spices (dried)

Tropical fruit from Hawaii

Vegetables (domestic and some imported)

Vegetable juice

Vegetable seasoning (dried)

Wheat flour

U.S. Foods pending approval for irradiation (I'm not sure of the date

of this):

Beef (un-refrigerated, uncooked)

Crustacean shellfish (including shrimp, crabs and lobsters)

Lamb (un-refrigerated, uncooked)

Molluscan shellfish (including oysters, clams and mussels)

Pork (un-refrigerated, uncooked)

Ready-to-eat foods (including deli meats, frozen dinners)

Here's an article about Irradiation in Canada:

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/food/irradiation/canada.html

http://www.iicph.org/docs/food_irradiation_revisited.htm

http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/168/5/603

Also see the PDF file I just posted in our Files " World Irradiation

Report 2006 " which is in the Cooking, Cookware & Food Storage folder

(see Files on our Group's left menu). Unfortunately I couldn't find

Canada on this report. I'm still trying to find the list of foods

approved for irradiation in Canada. Does anyone else have time to

find it?

Bee