What they are saying about irradiation as a processing aid

The comment period from FDA that seeks public comment on the issue of irradiation as a processing aid for spinach and lettuce ends Sept. 22, and already there are already 40 pages of comments listed on www.regulations.gov. A lot of naysayers, I must say. As I listen to Hank Williams Sr. on my MP3 player(Go and break you crazy heart), I'll list a few of the representative comments below.


From the Annie Appleseed Project:

We represent people with cancer. Most people with cancer go through therapy that includes radiotherapy. They have been exposed to as much radiation as is humanly possible to sustain.

Therefore the trend toward irradiating food products to protect us, will not be helpful to those who have been treated conventionally for cancer. Additionally we, as consumers, believe that the best way to fight bacteria is to have better safety methods at the farm level. It is certainly possible to farm in a healthful way - large factory farms do not practice 'safe farming' but they should be required to do so.

We ask that you focus your efforts toward safe farming and not irradiation.

But if you do irradiate food, we ask that ALL products be clearly labeled in a way that consumers will IMMEDIATELY recognize.

Thank you for your consideration of our comments.

Ann Fonfa,
President
www.annieappleseedproject.org

From Beatrice Whaley:

Please DO NOT use the irradiating PROCESS for our food. We must make the sources more diligent in prevention...........This is an OUTRAGE!!!!!!!...

WE CAN TEACH TO SOAK VEG/FRUITS/MEATS IN 1 GALLON OF WATER TO ONE TEASPOON OF CLOROX WITHOUT COMPRIMISING OUR VALUABLE VITAMINS/MINERALS.

PLEASE STOP!!

From Dr. Goodman

I am extremely opposed to the use of ionizing radiation on food. The research is clear that this treatment of food is unhealthy. (a) I would not eat food treated with ionizing radiation. (b) I would insist that all food treated that way be CLEARLY LABELLED so that I could avoid buying it. (c) I would counsel all my students and clients to avoid food treated this way. I am a Ph.D. psychologist, with extensive training in nutrition.

Dr. Michael Dean Goodman
Boca Raton FL


From Tiffany Calderone:

We are having enough issues getting the American population to mainatain a healthy diet, with out the loss of nurtrition that the use of Ionizing Radiation for the control of food-borne pathogens, and extension of shelf-life.

Please do not advocate and make rulings just to increase economic favor and simplified care over our food. If this is passed this will effect the quality of living in every American. That effect will be negative: decreases nutrition, increased immulagical degridation through tothe point of increased rate of Cancer development.

Tiffany L Calderone, DiHom, PhD
Research Investigator, Dr. Gershenwald's Lab
Dept of Surgical Oncology/Cancer Biology
UT-MDAnderson Cancer Center
7777 Knight Rd, SRB 1.514
Houston, TX 77054


TK: Comments like the above fill the docket. While the "don't irradiate" sentiment is not particularly scientific, it is clear that labeling of irradiated spinach and lettuce is nonnegotiable for many consumers. What's more, there appears to be anti-irradiation sentiment from cancer survivors. Didn't see any industry associations weigh in on this issue so far......maybe Monday?