Agrivision - End Labelling of Irradiated Foods

[Oscar]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cathy Holtslander" <cathyh@beyondfactoryfarming.org>
To: <sask-eco-farming@lists.riseup.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 11:39 AM
Subject: [sask-eco-farming] Red Williams calls for an end to labelling irradiated foods.

HI Everyone,

On Monday the CBC Saskatchewan morning show had a news item saying that Red Williams from Agrivision
(http://www.agrivision.ca/pdf/mondaymemo ... -07-07.pdf) was calling on Canada to drop regulations around labelling of irradiated food.

I thought I should respond. So I wrote the following feedback and sent it in. It was aired this morning. - Cathy
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Last week we heard that Canada is increasing pesticide residue limits so we can import more highly contaminated produce from the USA.

Now Red Williams from Agrivision Corporation is floating the idea of allowing unlabelled irradiated foods in Canada.

Is that so we can import more e-coli contaminated hamburger from the States?

We currently do not allow meat to be irradiated. But in the US, they’ve added irradiation as the backstop in their “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point” food safety system.

Line speeds at US meat packing plants are so fast, the underpaid workers are pushed so hard, and inspection is so infrequent, that livestock intestinal matter is routinely mixed up and ground with the beef.

Under these conditions it is impossible to prevent food-borne illness. Instead of cleaning up the process the US regulatory system allows meat packers one final “critical control point” at the end of the line, where they zap their pounds of ground with gamma rays.

Knowing consumers would avoid buying irradiated food, the US allows food processors to label these products as “cold pasteurized”.

Red Williams wants to go a step further and dispense with labeling altogether.

Why would Canada want to allow such meat to be sold here when we produce more than enough beef and pork to feed ourselves?

Or does Agrivision recommend importing irradiated US meat to go with our pesticide-laced imported vegetables?

Cathy Holtslander
Saskatoon
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The Beyond Factory Farming Coalition is a national organization promoting socially responsible livestock production in Canada. Our vision is “Livestock production for health and social justice”. BFF staff can be reached via info@beyondfactoryfarming.org