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BC THE ORGANIC WAY by Marya Skrypiczajko
The walls of the food processing chamber of an irradiation facility are concrete, six feet thick. A huge door opens at one end, the food moves into the chamber along a conveyor belt, and the doors shut again. Up out of the water tank that is the base of the chamber rises a radiation source such as cobalt and the food is bombarded with gamma rays equivalent to thousands of chest x-rays. Once thoroughly zapped, the food moves out of the chamber and begins its journey to grocery store shelves.
This is not a clip out of a Hollywood sci-fi movie. This happens to food world-wide. It is a brief description of one of the two ways food can be irradiated; the other is by electron guns that shoot high-speed electrons at the foods. The resulting food is not radioactive, but both methods do alter the chemical composition of the food.
Electrons are knocked off the molecules and then bounce around within the food to create free radicals which recombine to form other compounds. Studies have shown some of these new compounds are carcinogenic. In addition, vitamins are damaged, good bacteria are killed, and the raw food is left with the nutritional value of cooked food.
Lobby groups for nuclear facilities and irradiation plants, national governments and grocery store management claim this process does not harm the food at all. They tout irradiation for its ability to preserve food for longer periods of time and fear monger the public by alleging the necessity of irradiation to kill harmful bacteria that may be present in foods. They compare it to cooking, pasteurization or microwaving, although it is similar to none of these. Pasteurization preserves food by heating it briefly, and microwaves carry much less energy than gamma rays or electron beams.
Food irradiation originated after World War II as part of the US “Atoms for Peace” program in which industry and government looked for ways to get rid of nuclear waste while at the same time softening the image of the nuclear industry. Still today, companies are paid to take nuclear waste off the hands of governments and then use it to irradiate food for their own profits. This benefit encourages the governments to support irradiation and praise it publicly. Food processors and grocery store management then believe irradiation to be safe and appreciate it for its ability to lengthen the shelf life of food.
In Canada, non-organic wheat and all types of wheat flours can be irradiated to kill insects, potatoes and onions to inhibit sprouting, and spices and dehydrated seasonings to sterilize. Depending on the different foods, specific doses are allowed. If these foods are irradiated, they are labeled to the first purchaser with the international symbol of irradiation which is a stylized green flower within a circle. The first purchaser could be a processor, a school cafeteria or a hospital that does not have to inform the consumer that foods contain irradiated ingredients.
In 2003 the Canadian government put forth a regulatory proposal to add ground beef, shrimp, prawns and mangoes to the list of foods that can be legally irradiated in Canada or imported after they have been irradiated. The proposal is still being analyzed and the government is taking comments regarding the proposed changes, but it hopes to come to a decision some time within 2005. Health Canada claims irradiating these foods will not diminish their nutritional value and that they pose no danger to consumers. They say it will reduce the level of harmful bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella that often contribute to food poisoning, but admit irradiation does not guarantee food safety.
In the United States, red meat, poultry and fresh produce can be irradiated. The meat industry pushed for irradiation to help save its image after many E. coli and salmonella outbreaks. Irradiation kills fecal contamination that leads to food poisoning, and so for many US meat processors, it is cheaper to irradiate their products than it is to clean up their facilities.
It would be a shame for this list to be expanded in Canada too. If irradiation becomes too widespread, some suggest plants may even be genetically engineered to produce food that tastes and smells better after irradiation. Scary. The only bright side of this story would be that if there is enough correct reporting in the media, the organic industry would stand to benefit.
As both the general public and consumers, we can have some say in this. We can lobby the government not to approve the proposed changes, we can ensure there is correct reporting in the media, and we can buy organic food.
Marya Skrypiczajko is the author of BC the Organic Way – Where to Find Organic Food in British Columbia
www.bctheorganicway.com
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