> From: [email protected] > Date: Sun, 21 Dec 1997 01:22:09 -0500 > To: [email protected], [email protected], > [email protected] > Subject: OBRL - Health Hazards of Food Irradiation > Reply-to: [email protected] According to what I heard on the radio and on TV the other day, this bill has passed already as of about 2 weeks ago!!! Jim Einert
> >X-Authentication-Warning: jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU: domo set sender > to owner-obrl-n...@localhost using -f > >Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 16:29:11 -0800 > >To: *OBRL News <[email protected]> > >From: [email protected] (James DeMeo) > >Subject: OBRL - Health Hazards of Food Irradiation > >Sender: [email protected] > >Reply-To: [email protected] > > > >From: OBRL-News <[email protected]> > >To: [email protected] > >Subject:- Health Hazards of Food Irradiation > > > >Orgone Biophysical Research Lab <[email protected]> > >http://id.mind.net/community/orgonelab/index.htm > >Forwarded News Item > > > >Please copy and distribute to other interested individuals and groups > > > >********** > > > >Health Hazards of Food Irradiation > > > >The following news item appeared in the Nukewatch Pathfinder newsletter, > >winter 97-98, published by the Progressive Foundation, PO Box 649, > >Luck, WI 54853 USA. <[email protected]> > > > >FOOD IRRADIATION > >In Fine Print, for Better Sales > >by John LaForge and Jeff Peterson > > > >For good reason, consumers aren't buying food labeled "irradiated". That's > >why the irradiation industry is pushing an FDA law (HR-2480 and S-830), now > >under consideration, that would minimize the labeling requirements. Urge > >your Rep's to vote no. > > > >The irrelevant image of a flower in a broken circle (called "radura") is > >now used, along with a written warning, to identify irradiated foods. The > >industry bill would reduce the warning form a prominent "treated with > >radiation" statement on the front of the package, to an ingredient > >listing-size label on the back. The same bill would also force the FDA to > >approve beef irradiation. The idea is gaining support, especially after > >the recall of 25 milion pounds of beef from a dirty Colorado meat packing > >plant. > > > >Whole foods now approved for irradiation include pork, poultry, nuts, > >potatoes, wheat, wheat flour, fruits and vegetables, tea and 60 dried herbs > >and spices. However, the FDA requires no labeling of irradiation > >ingredients, so for example, canned soup made with irradiated potatoes and > >spices need not be so labeled. > > > >Food irradiation is a process whereby food is exposed to up to 300,000 rads > >of gamma radiation -- the equivalent of 30 million chest x-rays -- in order > >to extend shelf life and kill insects and bacteria. This amount is over > >20,000 times the allowed yearly exposure level for workers at a nuclear > >power site. > > > >The industry uses cobalt-60 or even cesium-137 -- an extremely hazardous > >isotope that's water soluble and deadly for 600 years -- as gamma ray > >sources. Both are radioactive wastes left in huge quantities from nuclear > >power and weapons reactors. The FDA's Jim Greene said in 1986 that using > >the cesium-137 "could substantially reduce the cost of disposing of > >radioactive waste" (Grand Forks Herald, 28 April 1986) > > > >The irradiation process produces new chemicals in the treated food called > >radiolytic products, some of which are known to be carcinogens or mutagens. > > The process also destroys nutrients essential to human health, such as > >vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. > > > >Besides increasing the risky transportation of radioactive materials on > >railroads and highways, food irradiation would put factory communities and > >food industry workers at risk of spills or leaks. In DeKalb County, > >Georgia, the firm Radiation Sterilizers, Inc. (RSI) got 252 twenty-one-inch > >canisters of cesium-137 -- which were never designed for use at an > >irradiation facility -- from the Department of Energy, and in 1988 began > >using them to irradiate spices. After only two years, a cesium capsule > >began leaking into RSI's storage pool. It took federal officials six months > >to even find the leak's source. Contaminated workers took the poison home > >with them. In 1992, the building was abandoned and RSI took the word > >"radiation" out of its name. Now, they are "SteriGenics". > > > >The nonprofit group Food and Water is working to keep irradiated foods off > >grocery store shelves. Call them at 1-800-328-7233 for more info, and > >their "Dear Retailer" cards that will let your grocer know you don't want > >irradiated food. > >Food and Water, RR.1, Box 68-D, Walden, VT 05873 USA. > > > >Internet Info on Health Hazards of Food Irradiation > > > >1. Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility > > Excerpts of U.S. Congressional hearings. Excellent info. > > http://www.ccnr.org/food_irradiation.html > > > >2. Fairfield County Weekly has an article called "Nukeburgers" > > that cites the Food & Water group in Vermont... > > http://www.fairfieldweekly.com/articles/meat.html > > > >3. "Spice Notes" Volume 3 has an article called "The Facts > > About Food Irradiation"... > > http://208.130.190.3/spice/notes/spices.notes.no3.html > > > > > > > >********** > > > >OBRL News is a product of the non-profit > >Orgone Biophysical Research Lab > >Greensprings Research and Educational Center > >PO Box 1148, Ashland, Oregon 97520 USA > >http://id.mind.net/community/orgonelab/index.htm > >[email protected] > > > >Building upon the discoveries > >of the late, great natural scientist, Dr. Wilhelm Reich > > > >To subscribe to OBRL-News, send the message: > > subscribe obrl-news > >to the following address: > > [email protected] > > > >To unsubscribe, or change to a new email address, firstly: > > unsubscribe obrl-news > >to the same address above. > >Then re-subscribe with your new address. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
