Food Irradiation Campaign 2002

Introduction

Welcome to the page of the new food Irradiation campaign section of Sustainable Wellington Net.

This page is focused on an application (Application A443) from Surebeam Australia Pty to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ, formerly ANZFA) to allow the treatment of tropical fruits by electron beams or X-rays as a phytosanitary measure to eliminate fruit Fly infestation. Both of these treatments involve the use of ionizing radiation and can be just as damaging as the Gamma rays produced by a radioactive isotope.

Submissions

The application was initially made last year and FSANZ has completed a Draft Assessment of the Application with a recommendation that it be accepted, submissions are now being called for on this draft assessment.

The closing date for submissions is 7 August 2002. Send them to:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 10559
The Terrace
Wellington 6036
Phone 473 9942
Fax 473 9855
E-mail nz.reception@foodstandards.gov.au

More Information

This is a further chapter in the ongoing efforts to institutionalise the use of irradiation for food treatment in New Zealand and Australia.

The proposal makes no sense either from an economic or a consumer standpoint. The "benefits" to the New Zealand consumer are marginal at best and (quite likely totally illusory) yet the potential for economic damage to New Zealand, especially the horticultural industry, is catastrophic.

A recent study has found strong evidence of major safety problems with irradiated foods as a result of the chemical byproducts produced in the food by the irradiation process.

Irradiation is an "End-of-the Pipe" technology in the very worst sense. It does nothing to deal with the real problems of lax and shonky hygiene standards - it actually encourages them, particularly in the meat industry. Steven Bjerklie, the former editor of Meat & Poultry fears that the widespread use of irradiation will reduce pressure on the meatpacking industry to make improvements in their production methods. He commented that "I don't want to be served irradiated faeces along with my meat". (Quoted in Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser).

See our Food Irradiation Links page for further information.