CONSUMERS IN DC, DE, MD, NJ, VA TELL GIANT FOODS YOU WON'T BE DECEIVED! November 12, 2002 Go directly to Take Action Giant Food Inc. is the most recent supermarket chain to carry irradiated ground beef. Classified as a "healthy idea: nourishing body & mind", they attempt to calm consumer anxiety about irradiation. Despite their marketing claims, consumers should be wary! Marketing Myths About Irradiation: ** The electron-beam process is environmentally-friendly and does not harm the food ** It is a "safe" choice for consumers ** No toxic substances are created during irradiation ** It is like milk pasteurization ** Nutritional loss during irradiation is not significant But is irradiated food truly safe? Unveiling the Myths: ** Irradiation exposes food to a dose of ionizing radiation that is equivalent to millions of chest x-rays. ** Whether ionizing radiation comes from radioactive materials or electron-beams its effect on food is the same; the only difference is how the radiation is produced. ** Irradiation disrupts the chemical composition of everything in its path - not just harmful bacteria. ** Irradiation creates chemicals called "radiolytic products" that do not occur naturally in food and that the FDA has never studied for safety. ** Research dating to the 1950s has revealed a wide range of problems in animals that ate irradiated food, including premature death, a rare form of cancer, stillbirths, genetic damage, organ malfunctions, low weight gain and vitamin deficiencies. ** In legalizing food irradiation, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not determine a level or radiation to which food can be exposed and still be safe for human consumption, which federal law requires. ** Irradiation destroys vitamins, essential fatty acids and other nutrients in food. Each process a food undergoes depletes nutrients. Irradiation is an ADDITIONAL step, so once the food is cooked, it is less nutritious than food that has not been irradiated. ** Irradiation and pasteurization are completely different processes! Pasteurization merely heats the food/drink to kill bacteria. ** Irradiation masks and encourages filthy conditions in slaughterhouses and food processing plants. ** Irradiation can kill most bacteria in food, but does not remove the feces and other filth that carries this bacteria. Take Action! ** Vote with your food dollars - don't buy irradiated ground beef! ** Send a fax: http://www.citizen.org/fax/background.cfm?ID=88&source=12 ** Call 888-4-MyGiant (DC, MD, VA) or 888-MySuperG (DE, NJ) to voice your views. ** Write a letter to the editor explaining the problems with irradiated food! ** Flyer at a local store to raise awareness in your community! (contact us for flyers) ** Fax the USDA and tell Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman, to keep irradiated food out of the National School Lunch Program! http://www.citizen.org/cmep/foodsafety/food_irrad/articles.cfm?ID=8493