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News Archive 1998-2003
2003 Irradiation Headlines
- 12/29 - Minnesota schools in pilot program reject irradiated ground beef
- 12/8 - Oahu irradiation facility proposed by Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture
- 11/15 - Global Week of Action Against Food Irradiation
- 11/5 - Enter The Meatrix
- 10/16 - National Campaign to Force Labeling of Irradiated Food in Schools
- 10/8 - School Districts Reject Irradiated Beef
- 9/22 - Congress Debates Labeling & Choice over Irradiated Foods in Schools
- 7/30 - Public Citizen Denounces Codex's Pro Irradiation Stance
- 7/14 - WTO Codex to Allow Dangerous Levels of Food Irradiation
- 6/19: Controversy, concern over proposed Milford Township, PA cobalt-60 irradiation facility
- 5/9: OPINION: Contaminated meat can be in school meals
- 5/31: USDA Approves Irradiated Meat for Schools
- 5/28: Sauk Rapids schools abandon irradiated food study.
- 5/23: Beware of Irradiated Dietary Supplements, says Dr. Samuel Epstein
- 5/8: SureBeam Irradiation Facility - Something to Hide?
- 4/28: Opposition to USDA Minnesota study on how to sell irradiation to parents and kids
- 4/11: First California irradiated fruits on sale
- 3/29: ACTION ALERT: ASAP: Tell U.S. House Committee to establish task force to prevent nuclear irradiation facilities from being used for dirty bombs
- 2/6: The Question of Irradiated Beef in Lunchrooms
- April 11, 2003: First California irradiated fruits on sale
- February 21, 2003: Tyson manager testifies: Tyson built its business on cheap, illegal immigrant labor.
- February 10, 2003: USDA and Minnesota field-test "irradiation education" program (a/k/a irradiation promotion) in Minnesota schools.
- February 6, 2003: The school board of Point Arena, California, passed a board policy prohibiting the purchase or use of irradiated foods in the schools. This follows a similar resolution from he Berkeley Unified School District in California.
- January 30, 2003: Opinion: Irradiation has unaddressed safety issue regarding the amino acid ergothioneine.
- January 30, 2003: Editorial: Irradiation not a substitute for safe meat.
- January 29, 2003: The Question of Irradiated Beef in Lunchrooms (corrected Feb. 5th)
- January 29, 2003: National Food Processors Association (NFPA) tries to spin FDA into ignoring Congress's mandate for consumer research on irradiation labels.
- January 3, 2003: USDA surreptitiously moves to force irradiated food on students
2002 - TOP
- November 12, 2002: Jewel-Osco supermarkets throughout Chicagoland are now pushing irradiated ground beef. Jewel-Osco is the Midwest Division of Albertsons, Inc. Albertsons is one of the world's largest food-drug chains and currently operates approximately 2,300 stores in 31 states.
- November 12, 2002: Check out Giant Food's ad campaign this week: "Introducing Irradiated Fresh Ground Beef."
- November 12, 2002: Berkeley school district bans irradiated food.
- November 12, 2002: Feature story on irradiated food in Northern California
- November 11, 2002: Major supermarkets - Giant Foods, Hannaford and Shop'n Save supermarkets - will push irradiated ground beef.
- October 31, 2002: US schools allowed to buy irradiated meat for school lunches. What you can do.
- October 31, 2002: Leaked USDA memo to inspectors contradicts USDA position of "zero tolerance" for slaughterhouse contamination.
- October 22, 2002: USDA approves irradiation for imported fruits and vegetables. The text of the USDA approval.
- October 15, 2002: U.S. supermarkets Price Chopper and Hy-Vee announced they will sell irradiated beef.
- October 9, 2002: FDA issues guidelines for companies to use "pasteurized" on labels of irradiated foods. News story. See FDA documents. Send a comment to the FDA.
- October 4, 2002: Cargill beef recall (Emmpak Foods) expands nationwide to 2.3 million pounds, plant closed for E. coli contamination.
- October 4, 2002: IBP Fresh Meats, a unit of Tyson Foods, has announced they will offer a new line of case-ready irradiated ground-beef trays, pre-formed patties and chub packs in five-pound and eight-pound sizes. All packaging will include the "Irradiated for Food Safety" emblem.
- October 3, 2002: Pathmark and D'Agostino supermarkets in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware are now selling irradiated meat. Send Pathmark a letter or cut and paste the letter and send it by e-mail. Or use Public Citizen's take-action page.
- October 3, 2002: Publix Stores in metro Atlanta area will sell irradiated ground beef and chicken produced by Colorado Boxed Beef Co. in Florida and treated with cobalt-60 (gamma) irradiation by Food Technology Service of Mulberry, FL, by early 2003. Irradiated meat typically costs 10 to 20 cents more per pound.
- September 10, 2002: Irradiation facility opens in Vernon (Los Angeles) CA for "meat and produce."
- September 10, 2002: Lowes Foods will begin offering irradiated fresh ground beef to consumers at 48 of its 105 stores in North Carolina and Virginia.
- July 23, 2002: USDA and FDA Withheld Relevant Consumer Research on Irradiation Labeling from Congress During Farm Bill Debate.
- July 5, 2002: Dairy Queen rolls out irradiated burgers in Minnesota.
- June 18, 2002: Downtown NYC would be uninhabitable if one "pencil" of cobalt-60, used for food irradiation, were exploded.
- May 31, 2002: Rochester, NY-based Wegmans grocery chain has started selling irradiated fresh ground beef under its house name. It is irradiated in Chicago. Food Technology Service, Inc. of Florida is now selling nuked chicken, turkey, beef, and eggs under the "I-Care Foods(TM)" [sic] brand.
- May 31, 2002: Prepare for irradiation of prepared foods: nearly all unlabeled to the consumer: "Some 40 manufacturers [plan to] ...be ready to use [irradiation] when the appropriate government approvals are in place. About 70% of the prepared foods manufacturers are conducting these kinds of tests." Frozen Food Age, May 2002.
- May 13, 2002: Both the House and Senate passed H.R. 2646, the Farm Bill, and President Bush has signed it into law. Contained in that legislation are three pro-irradiation and anti-consumer provisions that big agribusiness was successful in inserting. Two will make it easier for producers to label their food "pasteurized." The third provision directs the Secretary of Agriculture not to discriminate against purchasing commodities that have been treated with irradiation for the various nutrition programs the USDA administers, such as the National School Lunch Program.The primary author of all three provisions was Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). We intend to work on removing these provisions from law in the coming months. Thank you to everyone who wrote or called about these provisions. The Farm Bill was a big bill that contained many programs that legislators wanted to support. Senator Harkin's amendment just was not a deal-breaker for them.
- April 23, 2002: International Dairy Queen has begun testing irradiated ground beef at two Minnesota stores. It is also served at Gluek's Restaurant & Bar in downtown Minneapolis and at Xcel Energy Center suites during Minnesota Wild hockey games. (from Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, April 14)
- March 21, 2002: Postponed until 2003: Consideration of a proposal to remove all dose limits on irradiated food. The proposal is before the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC), which regulates world trade in food. If the proposal is accepted, countries that allow irradiation of a particular food domestically (for example, fruit) will not be able to exclude imports of irradiated fruit irradiated at a higher (and not domestically permitted) dose. (Why is Codex considering the proposal? Probably because Brazil has no dose limits, and removing dose limits would make export of Brazilian fruit easier.) The decision to postpone discussion was made because of widespread controversy and concerns over safety.
Current U.S. regulations allow certain foods to be irradiated at doses ranging from 1 to 7.5 kGy. The maximum 10 kGy limit set by Codex is the equivalent of about 330 million chest X-rays. Food exposed to higher levels of ionizing energy can suffer significant changes in flavor, texture, odor, nutritional integrity and chemical composition.
- March 9, 2002: Consumers Union writes to the NY Times: "Consumers Union shares the concerns of other safety groups about a last-minute Senate provision to define irradiated meat as pasteurized (news article, March 5). Irradiation and pasteurization are two different technologies for bacteria control. Allowing irradiated meat to be labeled "pasteurized" would dilute the meaning of pasteurized and make both terms confusing. This labeling provision is a step backward in providing consumers the most accurate and truthful information. Consumers have the right to determine the value of irradiated products for themselves and can only do so if specific labeling is provided."
- March 7, 2002: The U.S. often allows meat imports from foreign facilities that fail USDA inspections, or are not even inspected! Read the dispatch from the fine bimonthly newspaper, The Progressive Populist.
- March 7, 2002: Cobalt-60 and dirty bombs: the rods used for nuclear irradiation could be a terrorist tool.
- February 26, 2002: Another outrage from irradiation drumbeater Sen. Tom Harkin: Sen. Harkin slips amendments into Senate version of the Farm Bill that would a) allow the FDA to call irradiation "pasteurization" and b) prevent the Secretary of Agriculture from excluding irradiated foods from federal nutrition programs. (The children who eat those foods and their parents won't be informed if the foods are irradiated). Update 06/02: These amendments were included in the final version of the Farm Bill and are now law.
- February 12, 2002: Kenosha Beef International announced it will start selling irradiated ground beef. Kenosha Beef supplies Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Target, A&W Restaurants, Dairy Queen, Hardee's, and Hot'N Now Hamburgers.
- February 12, 2002: WW Johnson Meat Company plans to irradiate more ground beef products and patties that it sells to the food service industry (hospitals, elderly care, organizations, and restaurants) throughout the Midwest U.S.
- February 12, 2002: The U.S. Department of Defense has ordered its first supply of irradiated ground beef - it will be buying irradiated beef and chicken from transnational giants Cargill/Excel.
- January 12, 2002: A number of independent poultry distributors are beginning to sell irradiated chicken under the Nation's Pride label to restaurants and food service establishments, where customers probably won't be aware that the product has been irradiated. A $12-million electron-beam food-processing plant opened in Chicago and another facility is being built in in Vernon, south of downtown Los Angeles.- Los Angeles Times, Business section p. 1, 11/30/01.
- Think irradiated cole slaw isn't coming? Think again. January 11, 2002: SCIS Food Services Inc., signs agreement to test irradiation on ready-to-eat foods. SCIS operates numerous facilities for salad, bakery, side dish and entree production throughout the USA and Mexico, including the Orval Kent Food Company, Pennant Foods, La Francaise Bakery, Ozark Salad Company, Landau Foods and I&K Distributors. SCIS anticipates that the FDA and USDA will approve the use of irradiation on precooked or ready-to-eat processed foods like salads and cole slaw.
- January 12, 2002: A Richland, WA, firm is using nuclear irradiation "on a demonstration scale" to lengthen the shelf life of Walla Walla onions, cherries and herbs. The company is negotiating with a Ukrainian and Russian group for gamma-emitting isotopes from reactors there. Rather than cobalt 60, another gamma-producing isotope would be used. If the Fast Flux Test Facility in Hanford, WA, is not restarted, the company's first irradiation center would be built in the Ukraine.
- January 7, 2002: The New Jersey General Assembly voted 49-15 to impose a five-year moratorium on the sale of irradiated food in their state. The big hitters of corporate food lobbying, including the National Food Processors Association and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, were out in full force trying to kill the bill. While the bill is not expected to get much further since the New Jersey legislative session is about to end and the Senate has yet to act on it, the bill's passage in the Assembly amounts to a serious public relations setback for the irradiation industry. New Jersey is considered by many to be the "home" of food irradiation, where several irradiation facilities exist and some of its loudest promoters reside.
2001 - TOP
- November 29, 2001: FDA is asked to investigate the new chemicals, cyclobutanones, in irradiated foods.
- November 12, 2001: The Defense Department plans to purchase irradiated ground beef and poultry products for the military.
- November 8, 2001: Miami-based Bounty Fresh, LLC, an importer and national distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables, has signed a product testing and collaboration agreement with SureBeam to evaluate e-beam irradiation to increase shelf-life. SureBeam will also be evaluated as an alternative treatment for traditional environmental pest control treatments currently required by USDA.
- November 6, 2001: USDA list of E. coli 0157:H7 found in year 2001 tests of meat.
- October 22, 2001: Electronic and x-ray irradiation facility opens in Glendale Heights, IL (Chicago). Company spokesman says that consumers pay about 35 cents more per pound for irradiated meat.
- October 19, 2001: Tainted, antibiotic-resistant meat and poultry common in US.
- October 11, 2001: MDS Nordion and IBA have designed and are planning to market a new system for X-ray irradiation for meat, poultry, ready-to-eat products, fruits and vegetables on pallets in their original packaging without removing the stretch wrap. Products on pallets can be taken directly off the truck and processed. (X-rays have the penetration strength necessary to irradiate any food product in its current packaging.) This process will allow irradiation to be integrated seamlessly into the food processor's distribution network. Hormel is interested in using the technology.
- October 9, 2001: Victory for activists: US Department of Agriculture tells SureBeam: You can't call irradiation 'pasteurization' (at least not under current regulations).
- September 20, 2001: Doctors' group petitions US government to protect public from feces on poultry and meat, and to declare feces an adulterant. Poll finds that 84% of adults have no idea that the primary source of Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and other foodborne pathogens on poultry and meat is animal excrement.
- September 10, 2001: Irradiated Meat Fails in Florida and Wisconsin; Major Chain and Producer Drop Controversial Beef Patties.
- September 8, 2001: US food industry and irradiation advocates are at odds over Salmonella in ground beef. OCA comment: This apparently boring story is the "back story" to current irradiation policy in the U.S. The big companies in the food industry (through their mouthpiece, the National Food Processors Assn) oppose a proposed zero-tolerance plan for Salmonella bacteria, which is a common contaminant in ground beef. At present, the USDA allows a maximum of 7.5% Salmonella in ground beef. Last year the USDA cancelled contracts with a major supplier of ground beef who failed the tests several times. The meat industry was furious. (However, a federal judge prohibited the USDA from enforcing the 7.5% requirement.) Now, Sen. Harkin of Iowa, an irradiation advocate, is pushing a zero-tolerance requirement. He wants to attach an amendment to an upcoming Senate bill to require zero-tolerance. The only ways to achieve zero tolerance are irradiation or buying from suppliers that produce in a slower and cleaner fashion. The NFPA doesn't like either alternative.
In summary, the food industry prefers that the USDA NOT require Salmonella-free beef; partly because they fear consumer backlash from the expanded use of irradiation that will follow, partly because until irradiation is widespread, many companies will have their USDA contracts cancelled because they can't meet the zero-tolerance level. Sen. Harkin wants Salmonella-free beef to be required, which means--in practice--that all USDA beef suppliers will want to use irradiation. In Spring 2001, USDA Secretary Veneman proposed buying irradiated meat for the school lunch program but dropped the plan. Harkin is now trying to require the USDA to purchase irradiated meat by setting a USDA standard that can't be achieved any other way except irradiation. The underlying question for consumers is: why is so much beef contaminated with Salmonella that the meat industry thinks it's impossible to meet the 7.5% maximum contamination level? The answer is: the US factory farming system.
- August 8, 2001: Public Citizen and the Center for Food Safety today urged an international panel to refrain from loosening global food irradiation standards, including a proposed rule that would allow any food to be irradiated at any dose--no matter how high. The groups filed comments with the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Codex plans to hold a special session some time this fall to consider the proposal.
- July 30, 2001: Irradiated meat a flop with Wisconsin consumers.
- July 24, 2001: The U.S. Senate has confirmed anti-regulation Harvard professor John Graham to oversee the nation's environmental and public health regulations. As the administrator of the Information and Regulatory Affairs Office in the Office of Management and Budget, he will be the ``gatekeeper'' for federal regulations. Graham would be responsible for interpreting rules on air and water pollution, auto emissions, tobacco, worker safety and food safety. In 1996, Graham told political strategists at the rabidly pro-corporation Heritage Foundation that "environmental regulation should be depicted as an incredible intervention in the operation of society."
- July 17, 2001: Consumers unanimously rebuff industry-backed alternative wording for irradiated food labels--a report on focus groups.
- July 12, 2001: President Bush nominates irradiation supporter Elsa Murano from Texas A&M to oversee USDA's food-safety programs; confirmation by the Senate expected. USDA is responsible for ensuring the safety of meat and poultry products. USDA shares regulation of eggs with the Food and Drug Administration. FDA regulates other foods.
- June 22, 2001: Kemin Industries plans to nuke its chicken-feed products at Food Technology in Mulberry, Florida. Kemin products are used in human food and vitamins, pet food diets, and animal feeds.
- June 20, 2001: House Appropriations Committee strips funding for greatly needed, nonpartisan FDA research on irradiation.
- June 14, 2001: Huisken Meats is introducing a new product line of irradiated ground beef patties in 22 states. If you see these products, tell your grocer not to carry them, or give them literature about irradiation.
- June 7, 2001: Virulent antibiotic-resistant bacteria widespread in U.S. poultry and meat.
- May 11, 2001: How the new federal tax cut affects enforcement of laws and regulations. (With a chronically underfunded FDA and USDA, irradiation solves the problem of regulation: it shifts the cost of inspection and safe food onto the consumer, and removes the producer's liability for any health consequences!)
- May 7, 2001: Excel Corporation, one of the three largest beef and pork producers in the US, plans to use irradiation inside two of Excel's processing/slaughter facilities, located in Schuyler, Nebraska, and Plainview, Texas. (Note: these products are sold under many labels, and to food service and manufacturers.)
- April 17, 2001: Expired US Action Alert: Tell Congress you don't want the USDA to allow irradiated meat in the federal School Lunch Program. Comments by Dr. Samuel Epstein
- April 26, 2001: E-beam company plans e-beam/x-ray irradiation facility near Los Angeles (probably Vernon or Commerce), to open by the end of 2001, with an annual processing capacity of >250 million pounds. It will process "meat and other fresh and frozen food products and spices," which in layperson's language means "any of the following: meat, poultry, shellfish, wheat, fruits, vegetables, seeds for sprouting, shell eggs, herbs, teas."
- April 17, 2001: The FDA has approved irradiation of various animal feeds and feed ingredients for microbial control. This rule is effective April 10, 2001
- April 13, 2001: Rochester Meat, a privately held company in Rochester, Minnesota, will use irradiation on its ground beef products, portion cut steaks and pork products. It sells nationwide to the foodservice industry.
- April 7, 2001: W.W. Johnson Meat Co. of Minneapolis, MN, plans to irradiate its line of ground beef.
- April 5, 2001: Bush administration proposes irradiation of ground beef for schools; would no longer require the meat to be sampled for Salmonella bacteria. Read our coalition's press release.
- March 29, 2001: Public Citizen files false advertising complaint against Omaha Steaks for irradiated beef ads.
- March 27, 2001: SureBeam Corp. plans to open an electronic-beam irradiation facility in Chicagoland in 3rd quarter of 2001. It plans to irradiate over 250 million pounds annually of meat or other fresh and frozen food products and spices. (Note: "other" at this time may include poultry, pork, fruits, vegetables, seeds for sprouting, shell eggs and dietary supplement ingredients, most not labeled.)
- March 11, 2001: FDA rules that food packaging materials can be irradiated by more than one kind of technology. Formerly, prepackaged foods could only be irradiated by gamma irradiation. The new rule permits the use of X-ray and electron beam energy sources as well for treating prepackaged foods with ionizing radiation.
- March 1, 2001: Update on irradiated beef sales: low demand, retailers reluctant to tell customers. Irradiated ground beef also fails the taste test. (Watch out: the industry is planning a consumer campaign to stress the health benefits of irradiated food.)
- February 10, 2001: Anti-irradiation opinion piece published in Minneapolis Star Tribune, "You want cesium with that?"
- February 10, 2001: National Fisheries Institute files request for FDA to allow irradiation of raw, frozen or already cooked crustaceans (lobsters, shrimp, crabs).
- February 10, 2001: Who wants to use irradiation? Check out the list of registrants at a February 24-26 pro-irradiation conference in Washington DC. Public Citizen was the ONLY irradiation opponent present.
- February 2001: In March 2001, a committee of the Codex Alimentarius, the unelected body that regulates world food trade, will meet to consider a proposal to eliminate the maximum dose limit for irradiated food (currently set at 10 kiloGray,the equivalent of 330 million chest x-rays). Why this is a very bad proposal.
- January 26, 2001: Reports from government meat/poultry inspectors are confirmed: For new hires, USDA's FSIS does not require any experience with farming or meat cutting, or knowledge of animal anatomy. By hiring people who can only be "paper pushers" and who lack the knowledge to challenge company inspectors, the FSIS takes another step to turning over all physical inspection to the industry. The USDA "Seal of Approval" doesn't mean what it used to!
- January 14, 2001: The USDA has granted approval to use nuclear (gamma) irradiation to treat ground beef, pork and poultry products at a Schaumburg, Illinois, facility owned and managed by IBA.
- January 12, 2001: E. coli inhibitor effective in independent tests. Nymox Pharmaceutical Corp. (New York, NY) announced that tests conducted at the Department of Food Science at the University of Manitoba demonstrated that the company's novel proprietary antibacterial agent, NXC 4720, completely eliminated E. coli 0157:H7 in a laboratory model of a livestock gut.
- January 11, 2001: After the likely Tyson takeover of beef giant IBP, read about a few of President Clinton's favors to IBP and Tyson, from the Agribusiness Examiner.
2000 - TOP
- December 22, 2000: Sizzler profits hurt by E. coli outbreak; irradiation would not have prevented problem.
- December 17, 2000: American irradiators will continue to get their cobalt-60 from Canada: The Department of Energy (DOE) has decided not to restart the Fast Flux Test Facility (nuclear reactor) in Hanford, Washington. (Among other uses, this reactor could provide the U.S. with a domestic source of cobalt-60). However, the Bush DOE may prove more industry-friendly...
- December 6, 2000: FDA allows ultraviolet irradiation for "fresh" juice products, effective November 29, 2000. [Comment: Although UV radiation does not damage the food as much as ionizing irradiation, the food IS damaged-- the petitioner admitted that 13% of the Vitamin C in orange juice was destroyed.]
- December 4, 2000: Sauk Rapids, Minnesota City Council gives Huisken Meats economic development funds to rehabilitate a meat processing plant and incorporate an irradiation facility in the plant.
- November 24, 2000: Another incremental step intended to make irradiation 'necessary': USDA turns over responsibility for inspection of ready-to-eat meat products to the manufacturers. Expect this result: increased risk of listeriosis, and manufacturers 'demand' for irradiation.
- November 21, 2000: IBP Corp., the world's largest meat producer, said that it will use at least one e-beam irradiation system to irradiate beef directly on its production line. Analysts expect Titan to charge IBP five cents per pound.
- November 21, 2000: Omaha Steaks will use electron-beam irradiation on its ground beef products, the company said Friday. A voluntary recall by Omaha Steaks of about 11 tons of ground beef last month because of possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7 had no direct bearing on the decision to use irradiation, said a spokeswoman.
- November 16, 2000: Under the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) Treaty, any country that exports irradiated food must agree to accept the import of irradiated food. [So if the US starts exporting irradiated meat, US residents will not be able to avoid other unlabeled irradiated food imported from other countries. Most if not all of it will be nuclear-irradiated.]
- November 6, 2000: New pathogen controls for meat production.
- November 6, 2000: Consumer deception ahead: President signs law that tells the FDA: Choose a 'friendly' word to be used instead of "irradiation" on labels by early 2002.
- October 30, 2000: American Foodservice, one of the largest U.S. independent producers of ground beef, plans to use electron beam irradiation. They supply Burger King and other fast food companies. (Plants are located at 400 Drew Court, King of Prussia, PA, 19406, 610/277-5010, and 1301 Northpark Drive, Forth Worth, TX, 76102, 817/332-5807).
- October 16, 2000: United Food Group (Supreme Packing Co., Miller Beef, Moran's Ground Beef, Los Angeles) has signed up for irradiation. The company manufactures approximately 400 different fresh and frozen ground beef products for the retail and food service markets.
- October 12, 2000: USDA researchers to study irradiation in order to "optimize its benefits" for industry. In a five-year agreement between the Agricultural Research Service Food Safety Research Unit (part of USDA) and Ion Beam Application's Food Safety Division (Memphis, TN), ARS will use IBA’s facilities to compare the effectiveness of gamma, electron-beam and X-ray sources in controlling food-borne pathogens. They will also examine how these treatments affect the properties of food such as taste and texture, and how to optimize the benefits of the process.
- October 2, 2000: Food Irradiation Processing Alliance formed: a trade association of irradiators that will provide public relations and "consumer education" for food industry clients that want to use irradiation.
- September 26, 2000: Consumers in Europe are skeptical about irradiation.
- August 29, 2000: A Canadian fish company sues nuclear irradiator Food Technology Service of Florida for "over-irradiation," causing "color change, offensive odor and rendering the [sockeye salmon] unfit for human consumption." The fish was intended for Japan.
- August 24, 2000: National Academies report: Management of 'legacy' nuclear waste sites, like the highly contaminated Fast Flux Test Facility in Hanford, WA, should use the precautionary approach. Therefore, the public should reject the current proposal to reopen the FFTF--in part to make Cobalt-60 for food irradiation.
- August 21, 2000: Florida nuclear irradiation company threatens to sue activists for telling the truth: consumers aren't buying irradiated meats.
- August 2, 2000: Successful protest against irradiated food in the Twin Cities, Minnesota on July 28th.
- July 24, 2000: U.S. Senate narrowly rejects Harkin-sponsored bill that would require irradiation for meat.
- July 16, 2000: Two hard-hitting news articles "Meat from diseased animals approved for consumers" and "Meat with scabs, pus and tumors is OK, USDA says."
- July 13, 2000: Read our article "Food irradiation: A cover-up for dirty meat and poultry" - in Siren, the alternative media for news, culture and ideas in the Twin Cities.
- June 26, 2000: A chemist's assessment of cancer danger of irradiation-created chemicals in the diet. He challenges the science used in FDA's approval of irradiation for fruits and vegetables.
- June 25, 2000: Meat/poultry industry trade associations have asked USDA-FSIS to change slaughter and processing regulations to allow irradiation at the end of production. If the USDA says ok, this will mean unlimited fecal contamination of your food. Public comments to FSIS are due July 14th. See the industry proposal - the FSIS summary of the industry proposal - our comments to FSIS.
- June 25, 2000: How much beef & chicken in the U.S. will be irradiated? Companies that produce over 75% of the U.S.'s 9 billion pounds/year of ground beef and approximately 50% of the nearly 35 billion pounds/year of poultry have already signed agreements to use irradiation technology.
- June 22, 2000: Titan Corp. to irradiate Brazilian beef, launches media propaganda campaign. Brazil is also a major orange producer: expect irradiated orange juice concentrate in the next few years.
- June 16, 2000: Florida residents now can buy nuked fresh ground beef "for an extra measure of safety" (from what?) from Colorado Boxed Beef "New Generation" brand.
- June 15, 2000: OCA cosponsors successful rally against irradiation in Minneapolis June 8. A major newspaper, one radio and four television stations covered the protest.
- May 30, 2000: Consumer Beware: Irradiation technology goes to Brazil for meats, fruits and vegetables.
- May 26, 2000: Federal judge says HACCP microbial tests are not accurate gauges of whether or not a plant is clean. USDA cannot shut down a plant that fails the tests. USDA must now find some better method of assuring cleanliness--either build the inspection force, or require irradiation. Looking a little into the future, it's obvious that mandatory irradiation of all meat/poultry products is the logical consequence of replacing USDA inspectors with company personnel and HACCP.
- May 21, 2000: Kraft plans to use irradiation on Oscar Meyer line of meats, awaiting FDA approval of irradiation for deli/processed meat products.
- May 16, 2000: National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" airs 15-minute pro-irradiation segment, without a single interview with irradiation opponents. This show could have been (and probably was) written by the National Food Processors Association! Tell All Things Considered to air a rebuttal: Expired action alert. (October 2000 note: NPR never responds to our complaints)
- May 16, 2000: Irradiated beef patties from Huisken Meats go on sale in Minneapolis-area supermarkets today.
- May 4, 2000: Results of poll conducted in The Costco Connection magazine: 74% of Costco members oppose irradiation of meat and other fresh food products! Nevertheless, Costco misrepresents the results of the poll by featuring 2 letters for and 2 letters against irradiation in the magazine, implying an evenly divided membership.
- April 23, 2000: Bacteria D. radiodurans survive 3,000 times the lethal human dose of x-rays. They will be genetically engineered and widely used in medicine and industry. Set loose in the environment, these bacteria may eventually transfer their resistance to food bacteria like Salmonella.
- April 6, 2000: Meat packers will make irradiation decisions partly based on consumer reaction to irradiated beef sold at Wal-Mart.
- April 4, 2000: SteriGenics will establish the first high-volume, high-power X-ray and electron-beam irradiator in North America in Bridgeport, NJ, by the end of the year. This month, Griffith Micro Science and MDS Nordion will jointly open an irradiator using radioactive Cobalt-60 in Mexico City, Mexico.
- February 22, 2000: USDA permits irradiation of raw meats. IBP, Tyson, Colorado Boxed Beef and Excel will be using irradiation for wholesale and/or retail products. Food service (restaurant, airline, hospital, school) foods will not have to be labeled. Test markets for retail sales will begin Spring 2000.
- The U.S. Department of Energy will hold an environmental impact meeting in May about its proposal to reopen the most contaminated site in the Western Hemisphere, the Fast Flux Test Facility on the Hanford, WA, reservation, in part to create a U.S. manufacturer of cobalt-60 for food irradiation worldwide (see p. 1 of large pdf file). The decision will be made in December 2000.
- March 1, 2000: An estimated 89% of U.S. beef ground into patties is contaminated with E. coli 0157H:7.
- January 2000 - Japan to get electronic irradiation facilities; contract signed by Titan and Mitsubishi.
1999 - TOP
- December 14, 1999 - USDA approves irradiation for fresh and frozen raw meat products. Irradiated meat used in other products such as bologna also must be labeled. For unpackaged meat products that do not have labels, the statement and logo must be displayed at the point of sale to consumers. These labeling requirements do not apply to products purchased through foodservice operations, such as restaurants. To take effect mid-February 2000.
- November 17, 1999 - E. coli bacteria is in half of all US cattle.
- October 26, 1999 - Electron-beam irradiation company Titan has signed contracts (pending USDA approval) with major food processors: IBP, Cargill, ConAgra, Tyson and Emmpack. (This could affect approximately 75% of U.S. ground beef). A Titan facility will open in Hawaii in July 2000 to irradiate fruit.
- August 1999 - U.S. citizenry sends about 10,000 comments and 19,000 petition signatures to FDA supporting clear, prominent and permanent labeling of irradiated foods. Look for comments between February and September 1999 on Docket #98N-1038 in the FDA daily postings.
- August 1999 - Pro-irradiation coalition asks FDA to approve irradiation for ready-to-eat foods, including fresh juices, seeds, sprouts, prepared raw foods, lunch meats and frozen foods. Foods already approved by FDA for irradiation: meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, wheat, wheat flour, herb teas, dehydrated vegetables and spices. UPDATE: As of June 2002, the FDA has not decided on the petition yet.
- April 23, 1999 - Our ally Center for Food Safety's Comments on the USDA/FSIS proposed meat irradiation regulation.
- March 13, 1999 - Two Directives on processing food by ionizing radiation were published in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
- March 1999 - FDA requests first round of comments on revision of labeling requirement for irradiated foods: one option is to remove or phase out all labels on all irradiated foods. (Text of the proposal)
1998 - TOP
- September 11, 1998 - Scientists discover that simple change in cattle diets before slaughter effectively eliminates E. coli O157:H7.
- August 25, 1998 - President Clinton signed an executive order creating a national council to oversee food safety. This was the first step to getting government and industry to coordinate efforts to force irradiated food on the public.
- Report of important meeting involving government, industry and consumer groups regarding labeling. Consensus is for some kind of permanent labeling. The FDA used this report in drafting its proposal for revising labeling. However, Congress told FDA to consider removing ALL labels.
- May 1, 1998 - "Organic" label doesn't allow irradiated food - for now.
- 1998 FDA approves meat irradiation.
