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Food by |. Glow Food Imradliation o.ccccccece byl cow Irradiation causes what are known as ‘organoleptic’ changes infood. that ls, changes In food taste, smell and texture. Dairy products and some fruits are especially prone to such changes and are thus inappropriate for irradiation, Some — micro-organisms can mutate under radiation, possidly creating new species even more dangerous than the original. According to a 1984 EPAreport, food Irradiation has been tled to increased production of afiatoxins, a deadly carcinogen. Even with its most popular use as a sprout Inhibitor In potatoes, Irradiation is not ideal since it increases potato sensitivity to fungal attack and therefore rotting (defeating the whole process). As a high-tech capital Intensive technology It is particularly unsuited for use in the Third World, Other Important drawbacks to food irradiation Inciude its harmful effects on nutrients, potential environmentat We've all heard a ilttle about food Irradiation - but what Is if? Food Irradiation means that food Is exposed to a beam of ionizing tadiation from gamma sources like caesium-137 and cobalt-60 In machines that generate electron or X- tay beams. in a commercial plant, packaged food rides on a conveyor belt through a radiation chamber. A shutter opens momentarily as the food below recelves high doses of radiation, “Low dases will stop onions or potatoes from sprouting: higher doses will kill Insects, bacterla and fungl in the food. The levels of radiation involved are massive - between 5.000 and 4 million rads are used depending on the food product. By comparison a chest X-ray produces less than | rad. Although the process does not make food radioactive, there are a number of worrying aspects to food itradiation. ©®©G© OF O® When lonizing radiation in the form stuciies showing 1 A S hazards and worker safety. Uke ‘ g that some animals fed js 4 of gamma, rave stke tne food! ered! radiated food developed extra sete COMING end feerhg. | expesna fed division Is disrupted and slowed down of chromosomes. A Wiarch 1984 USDA the most beneficial constituents of which slows the ripening of fruit By reranit basadon’ 12 studigs Pameuced food, Studies have shown that disturbing thelr metabolism radiation In one sturdy Tah cite ad teeeteted inadiation affects vitamins roteins can kil Dacterla and at stil higher levels Chicken flesh showed an increase In GhSamina acids. carbohyarats can aiso kill viruses. lonizing radiation cam festicuiet | Furcadia page aouced tei ids and enz\ Ye . g cancer, kidney diseases and reduced RUG Cae YTS, ‘ also disable organisms by destroying litespans. Another study found a js it sufficient for food to lock fresh, thelr genetic material. It is_ not i ‘ or do consumers went - and deserve . radiation dose-related increase in ee eae} apere food radioactive for deaths among offspring of flies fed F tie ape bi We may want food earn atari the _ tfediated chicken flesh. " ae eae eee weer iaflor causes tt A recent pair of Russian studies he issue has obvious hectith formation of ibaa eet ae compounds In food calle nique mci ke : processed food of varicus kinds has irradiated food products contain iterally hove ‘inked it with leukaemia and The benefits have been mostiy recped thousands~-of combinaticns of these baer development of white blood by multinational food companies. The unique, never-before-seen moiecules: Calls “ehhcren ced monkeys ‘Wate. fed costs. jargely in terms of nutrition, have no-one can say what their effects will be whest ihiee weeks after it had been been paid for by us without long-term studies. exposed to 74,000 rads of radiation} The interests of the industry are In 1968 the US Department of Some ° onimats fed hradioted borne out in the discussion around Agriculture admitted that irradiated whect have been known to develop labelllng of irradiated food. Obviousiy foods may contain enough URPs to cells which contain more than the usual they would prefer the process not be warrant toxicological evatuation, number of chromosomes. Safety and mentioned on the label; but if it is. they Nevertheless the US Food and Drug — igbeiling questions aside, opponents of are anxious fo avoid the word Administration claims there are ne hecith food inadiation point to @ Putrber of ‘irradiation’. hazards with the process. important reasons why the process will A spokesperson for Emergent The single most important never we up to promoters’ Technologies, a company building an question about Irradiated food is expectations irradiation plant in Vancouver, Canada, simply. Is It safe to eat? The US Federal There are radiation resistant claims that irradiation Is a poor word government has spent from $S0-80 bacteria, such as the bacteria that and prefers labelling like “Processed millon over the past 40 years In an effort OOLsER . botulism (eUtuiem-affected with Piea Waves' (probably because it to answer that question. Based Oo foong would in tu be harder for means very iittle to most peopie) this research, the FDA says that at doses consumers to spot, “ since signs of Another favorite among the relevant below the 100,000-rad_ limit being spoilage might have been prevented companies is “Treated with Ionizing proposed, the difference between by itradiation) Energy’. irradiated food and a comparable ~ Regulations introduced in the USA last December require labels for non-rraaiated food Is so small as to make the foods Indlstinguishable with oe ae ee eee respect fo safety. In effect the FDA is denims, by a flower takin broken saying yes, Irradiation causes radlolytic Clicle that ine bedi ls hadiaiad products to form and some 10% of wu So despite the alleged Eerie these are likely to be unique radiclytic r benatts fram food fiecistbak th products, So far at least 42 URPs have ! wotheteleas_lesciee my ie been identified. Foods Irradiated at uciaar industry would icthet it he sneaked In the back door rather than Sa ee pita conlks hit the fully informed public head on. But evabinion. with the record of horrific accidents and Canada's Pollution Prove ee pipiens the Industry has, Is it that Foundation cites a number of animal SUIPIISING’? aeaeaaaaa aa aa® a Qa ar hes also found evidence of testicular implications In a society wnere non-rraaiated food Is so small as to make the foods Indistinguishable with respect to safety. In effect the FDA Is saying yes, Irradiation causes radlolytic products to form and some 10% of these are likely to be unique radiclytic products, So far at least 42 URPs have been identified. Foods Irradiated at levels above 100,000 rads may contain enough URPs to definitely warrant evaluation. Canada's Pollution Prove Foundation cites a number of animal Qa @Q@ a2 2 @ @ @a aaa Q21