Beef Industry is asking the Federal Government to approve irradiation of food Everyone, everywhere: Say NO to radiated food. And say it loud!While I am using Canadian news, this is not only ongoing in Canada.The EU is looking at radiating food. As for the US, sadly, it appears the food has been irradiated more extensively for some time. Yet, even that can be rolled back!
Canada's beef industry is about to ask the federal government to approve the use of irradiation in meat-processing plants to kill dangerous E. coli bacteria in a full range of meat products.The Canadian Cattlemen's Association says it is updating an application that was first made to Health Canada in 1998 for ground beef, but was turned down because of public concerns.Irradiation involves bombarding meat with radiant energy similar to X-rays."Food irradiation is likely the most effective intervention remaining that we don't already use. And when you add irradiation, on top of the existing food safety system, we could essentially eliminate E.-coli-related illness from beef products," said Mark Klassen, the association's director of technical services."Our proposal now is saying we would like to get permission to irradiate any kind of beef."
The updated proposal to be filed with Health Canada follows recent E. coli outbreaks in beef that made national headlines. E. coli linked to frozen beef burgers from Cardinal Meat Specialists
HOWEVER..... the US already radiates much of their beef burgers and many other beef productsAlong with chicken, grains etc., And if you have been paying attention, that has been ineffective (Selected cases only)How many ecoli cases really? Take a guess?How much of this was in already irradiated food? Take a guess?Claims of benefit are standard: The irradiation does not affect or alter the food productsOf course that is the standard lie!The irradiation chemically alters the food, you know, it mutates the food. Irradiation also reduces the nutritional values of the food.,etc
THE ONLY BENEFIT OF RADIATED FOOD IS FOR THE FILTHY FACTORY FOOD PRODUCERS. THE FOOD CAN BE FILLED WITH EXCREMENT AND FILTH. THE PROCESSING FACTORIES CAN BE FILTHY DIRTY. IRRADIATION WILL ALLOW FACTORY FOOD PRODUCERS TO CUT CORNERS AND REDUCE COSTS AT YOUR EXPENSE!
No, I am not yelling. Capitals are being used to emphasize the actual, factual, real reason that the beef industry wants to irradiate your food. Cut corners, increase profits and to bad about your health. INFO
Food irradiation can result in loss of nutrients, for example vitamin E levels can be reduced by 25% after irradiation and vitamin C by 5-10%. This is compounded by the longer storage times of irradiated foods, and by loss of nutrients during cooking, which can result in the food finally eaten by the consumer to contain little more than 'empty calories'. This is potentially damaging to the long and short-term health of consumers When food is exposed to high doses of ionising radiation, the chemical composition and nutritional content of food can change. Radiolytic by-products are often formed in irradiated food. Very few of these chemicals have been adequately studied for toxicity. One such chemical - 2-DCB - can cause DNA damage in rat colon cells at high doses.
Food irradiation does not inactivate dangerous toxins which have already been produced by bacteria prior to irradiation. In some cases, such as C. botulinum, it is the toxin produced by the bacteria,-- Irradiation can cause mutations in bacteria and viruses leading to potentially resistant strains.
MISLEADING CONSUMERS
-- Irradiating fruit and vegetables to extend their shelf life can mislead consumers by making 'old' food look 'fresh'. The greater the age of fruit and vegetables, the lower their nutritional value, not to mention the effects of ageing on their tastes and flavours.-- Consumers may be dangerously misled because irradiation also unavoidably kills off bacteria that produce warning smells indicating that the food is going 'off'.-- The irradiation of some products, such as dried fruit and flakes or germs of cereal, often considered as health foods (eg. muesli), could lead them to become misperceived by consumers as inherently contaminated food types.
MISUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY
-- Food irradiation can and has been used to mask poor hygiene practices in food production. With irradiation, contamination can be sterilised. This reduces the incentive to clean up sloppy food processing operations - the industry is provided with a 'quick fix' as an alternative to dealing with the sources of the problem. The consumer has a right to expect clean food, yet irradiation can lead to the increased production of food contaminated with dirt -'clean' dirt.
Clean dirt?
-- Irradiation can be used to maintain or even worsen poor standards of animal husbandry. Overcrowding of animals whist rearing and prior to slaughter, as well as the use of cheap but inappropriate feeds, all contribute to contamination of animal products such as meat, poultry and eggs. Cleaning up these products at the end of the production line removes the incentive to improve animal welfare.-- Breaches of existing labelling legislation have occurred in European countries, with the sale of unlabelled irradiated foods. This was recently discovered to be occurring again by a UK government detection survey which found that nearly half the food supplements sampled were illegally irradiated and unlabelled (see press releases). Under these circumstances the consumers' right to choice is flouted. Relaxation of irradiation standards could worsen this situation.-- If they succeed, on-going industry efforts in the US to substitute the term 'irradiation' on irradiated food labels with terms such as 'cold pasteurisation' could serve to confuse and mislead consumers.
THE SAFETY OF WORKERS
-- Workers risk accidental exposure to dangerous levels of radiation, particularly at irradiation plants using radioactive sources.-- The use of irradiation to sterilise meat at the end of the production line allows slaughter lines to be run at dangerously high speeds, since the greater contamination that occurs during high speed carving of carcasses can be 'cleaned up' at the end of the line. This approach increases the risk of accidents and fatalities by forcing meat packers to work faster than ever.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC COSTS
-- Food irradiation is not a low-cost method. Irradiation plants are expensive and could help large multinationals to eliminate smaller and more local producers. Requirements for improved security measures at all facilities holding radioactive materials, are likely to increase the costs of irradiation plants, leading to an increase in the prices of irradiated foods.-- Irradiation supports greater globalisation of food production and supply, threatening local farmers and food processors.
SECURITY RISKS
-- It has been reported that numerous unrecovered losses and thefts of radioactive materials occur each year. Recent events have raised concerns over the potential for terrorists to obtain these materials for use in 'dirty bombs'. A dirty bomb uses conventional explosives to disperse radioactive materials. Such an attack could cause radiation contamination over several city blocks, but probably no deaths from radiation because of the low doses as the material is dispersed. Such an attack could spread panic and have significant economic impacts. It would require lengthy cleanup operations, although these materials are fairly easily detected.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
-- Accidents at radioactive irradiation plants have already led to radioactive spills and contamination of surrounding land and water resources. This could happen again.-- The construction of more irradiation plants could necessitate more transportation of radioactive materials, entailing risks of accidents and radioactive leaks over a wider area.-- Irradiation allows food to be transported over greater distances, leading to greater air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to global warming.
From the Cancer Prevention CoalitionFood Irradiation: A Catalyst for More Health Risks to Canadians Potential Health Hazardsof Food Irradiation : U.S. CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS INTO FOOD IRRADIATIONEnding with a recommendation to rescind, RESCIND the approvals for radiating food.Clearly the FDA didn’t.
In summary, the continuing research effort by our organisation indicates clearly that recent and pending approvals of food irradiation processing by the FDA should be rescinded, and the same degree of caution now being expressed by several states and national agencies around the world be implemented on a federal level.
Food & Water I am arming you with the info you all need to be proactive. The choice is yours.Get active or be radioactive, sick, genetically mutated and cancerous. It is up to you. The government will cater to the cattle lobby. Our silence is acquiescence.The solution to the problem of filthy food is to clean up or end the factory farming industry.PeriodThis may result in lower profits for big agri business .... oh well. The size of their profits are not my problem or yours. But, your health is of utmost importance to you. Along with the health of your loved ones.