Now is the time to contest food-irradiation proposals in Canada The 90-day comment period ends on Feb. 21 (see below) Ottawa Citizen, January 19, 2003 by Henry Kock, Guelph Health Canada is completing an eight-city tour across a Canadian landscape of winter storms and a busy holiday season. It asked for the public's concerns about the proposed approval for irradiation treatment of beef, chicken, shrimp and mangoes. Potatoes and onions have been approved for years but are not yet treated. The distinguishing "radura" symbol, and food irradiation itself, remains virtually unknown to Canadians. Food irradiation is being proposed as a method to extend shelf life and reducing bacterial contamination. Food won't become radioactive when zapped with gamma radiation. However, the safety of new chemicals created by the process remains partly unknown. Another concern is that re-contamination is inevitable without other proper food-handling practices such as thorough washing. Irradiation is no substitute for appropriate sanitation and good animal husbandry. I attended the slick presentation in Guelph on Dec. 12. Health Canada representatives extolled confidence in the safety of irradiation treatment based on the evidence presented to them. I reminded them that it was this same "good science" that supported the approval process for hundreds of chemicals that are now banned after causing tremendous damage to human health or the natural environment. Thalidomide, breast implants and DDT immediately came to mind. The Health Canada PR entourage included cheerleaders from the poultry and beef industries. Meanwhile, on Dec. 18, the European Parliament rejected an expansion of the list of foods permitted for irradiation in the European Union. If you are concerned about what the government may shove down your throat, now is your chance to act. The 90-day comment period ends on Feb. 21. Visit the Web sites of Sierra Club of Canada (www.sierraclub.ca/national/ ) and Health Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment/e_index.html ) for further information.