Fw: (Radfood-list) Action Alerts! Stop Imported Irradiated Fruit &Veggies / Stop Irradiation In Europe!

[Guest guest]

FYI! MM

Martha Murdock, Director

National Silicone Implant Foundation | Dallas Headquarters

" Supporting Survivors of Medical Implant Devices "

4416 Willow Lane

Dallas, TX 75244-7537

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

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

Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 9:06 AM

Subject: (Radfood-list) Action Alerts! Stop Imported Irradiated Fruit

& Veggies / Stop Irradiation In Europe!

***Apologies for cross posting***

***Please circulate widely***

*********Action Alert! Voice Your Opposition to the Importation of

Irradiated Fruits and Vegetables!*********

The approval process for the importation of irradiated fruits and vegetables

is in its final stage! The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS) has a final rule before the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to

approve the importation of irradiated fruits and vegetables. Countries

around the world have been gearing up to irradiate as soon as this approval

goes through. This approval will allow countries such as Brazil (whose

regulations are so lax that they can irradiate any food for any reason at

any dose) to become the " fruit basket of the world " and irradiate produce

for export to the U.S.

One major piece left out of the picture is labeling. Although federal

labeling rules are under attack, irradiated food still does have to be

labeled as such. The government currently only inspects 2% of the food that

we import. So there is little assurance that anyone will be watching

whether imported irradiated food will be accurately labeled.

We need to tell the OMB that we do not want irradiated food, whether

domestic or imported! Click on the following link to send a free fax from

our website, or use the contact information below to write your own letter!

http://www.citizen.org/fax/background.cfm?ID=82 & source=12

Margaret Malanoski

Desk Officer

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

The Office of Management and Budget

727 17th Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20503

RE: APHIS Docket Number: 98-030-4 (Irradiation Phytosanitary Treatment of

Imported Fruits and Vegetables)

*********Action Alert! Stop Food Irradiation in Europe!*********

The European Parliament is at a pivotal point in deciding the future of food

irradiation in Europe. Irradiation is the process by which food is exposed

to high doses of radiation-the equivalent of hundreds of millions of chest

x-rays. Irradiation extends the shelf life of food but destroys vitamins

and creates potentially hazardous new chemical compounds.

There are numerous suspected health hazards associated with food

irradiation. For over 40 years, the World Health Organization has dismissed

research documenting a wide range of serious health problems in lab animals

that ate irradiated foods, including premature death, mutations, nutritional

deficiencies, prenatal death, reproductive problems, suppressed immune

systems and stunted growth. The European Union is heading down the same

road. Recently, the European Scientific Committee on Food dismissed research

indicating human health concerns associated with eating irradiated foods and

outlining the need for further research before expanding food irradiation in

Europe.

On November 5th, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and

Consumer Policy will be voting on the future of food irradiation in Europe.

Depending on the outcome of the vote, food irradiation will either sweep

through Europe or will be stopped in its tracks.

By clicking on this link

http://www.citizen.org/action/petition/index.cfm?ID=2 & source=16 you can add

your name to a petition, asking the Ministers of the European Parliament to

stop the expansion of food irradiation in Europe before it is too late!

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-Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program