Food Irradiation

[eve]

Food exposed to Cobalt 60 (highly radioactive material) is now approved for consumption by the Australian & New Zealand Health Ministers. The company, Steritech, operates in Sydney, Victoria, and in Qld, just 30 minutes north of Brisbane CBD. Govt approval was given for the Queensland facility just 6 days aafter their application was approved by FSANZ.

Already herbs, spices, herbal teas, black teas, oil seeds and nuts have the go ahead, and now tropical fruits are included. Packaged irradiated goods will be labelled but it's not clear how to label fruits. It seems we are going along the same path as the US, though consumers in UK and Europe are protesting.

There are real dangers with irradiation, including destruction of essential vitamins and nutrients, as well as other physical damage.

To protest, please email FSANZ - advice@anzfa.gov.au or write to FSANZ, POBox 7186, Canberra MC ACT 2610.
:confused:

[Roxy]

In my books, this is yet another reason to eat organic and avoid consumption of this type of food!

However, this poses another question: can restaurants and other places that serve foods, use irradiated ingredients without consumer knowledge?

[ConsciousCuisine]

However, this poses another question: can restaurants and other places that serve foods, use irradiated ingredients without consumer knowledge?


In the US, yes. We have petitions circulating to ban them from Public Schools.

[Roxy]

And now I understand even more CC, why you don't eat out anywhere, unless you can be served organic food.

I remember reading a chapter in John Robbin's Food Revolution about irradiated food. I'm going to have to go back and re-read it now.

[Mystic]

God that is some scary stuff :eek: