Fw: (Radfood-list) Irradiated Produce Now Being Sold!

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----- Original Message -----

From: " Mikhail " <mmikhail@...>

<undisclosed-recipients:>

Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:26 PM

Subject: (Radfood-list) Irradiated Produce Now Being Sold!

> ***Please distribute widely***

> ***Apologies for cross-posting***

>

> ACTION ALERT: TELL MELISSA'S/WORLD VARIETY PRODUCE NOT TO SELL

> IRRADIATED PRODUCE!

>

> 's/World Variety Produce, a fruit and vegetable distributor

> based outside of Los Angeles, is selling irradiated papayas and

> rambutans across the country, and wrongly describing them as

> " electronically pasteurized! "

>

> Irradiation destroys essential vitamins and minerals and creates known

> toxins and carcinogens in food. Not only that, irradiation's supposed

> ability to destroy invasive insects and extend shelf life will allow

> corporate agribusiness to move operations outside the US. While the

> food industry will profit from lax environmental standards and cheap

> labor overseas, small family farmers, already hurting, will be at an

> even greater disadvantage, possibly even forced off their land.

>

> In addition, irradiation is not pasteurization! Pasteurization is a

> process by which food is quickly heated and cooled (usually with steam

> coils) to kill bacteria. Irradiation exposes food to radiation doses

> equivalent to millions of chest x-rays, disrupting the DNA of bacteria

> and creating numerous new chemicals in the process.

>

> Tell 's to protect local food production and our health, and to

> stop selling irradiated produce!

>

> Contact Info:

> Email: hotline@...

> Call: (800) 588-0151.

> Write: 's/World Variety Produce, Inc.

> P.O. Box 21127

> Los Angeles, CA 90021

> Att: Joe , President

>

> Sample Letter:

> Dear Mr. :

>

> As a health conscious and socially conscious consumer, I am writing to

> urge you to stop selling irradiated produce.

>

> Irradiated food has not been proven safe to eat! It not only degrades

> the nutritional content of food, but research has revealed a wide range

> of health problems in animals that ate irradiated food including

> premature death, fatal internal bleeding, cancer, reproductive problems,

> genetic damage, organ malfunctions and nutritional deficiencies.

>

> In addition, because irradiation destroys invasive insects and extends

> shelf life, it will allow large agribusinesses to move their operations

> overseas, and make them unaccountable to strong environmental and labor

> standards. In the meantime, small family farmers and domestic growers,

> already suffering, will be unable to compete with the influx of cheaper

> imports that will flood the market.

>

> These issues are very important to me as a consumer. I do not want to

> purchase food from a company that is neither socially responsible nor

> concerned about the healthfulness and safety of the food it sells.

>

> If 's is truly committed to providing a high quality product to

> its consumers, then you must stop selling irradiated produce. I would

> appreciate a reply to this request.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> <Your Name & Address>

>

> ********************************

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> To learn more about food irradiation, visit our website at

> www.citizen.org/cmep .

> Questions can be directed to cmep@... .

> -Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program

>