permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

Marimike6@cs.com wrote:

> > I really hope American citizens will stand up against the low price-
> > low quality US food production.
> > Like Hormones in beef, irradiated food is not allowed for sale in
> > Europe,  both because of safetyreasons for the consumer.
> > GM products are also not allowed until no-harme is proven.
> > The biggest difference between the EU and US is that people in the
> > EU are more important while in the US the Businesses are.
>
>
>
> There is a potential for problems with GM foods. There is a demonstrable 
> problem with growth hormones in meat, not to mention antibiotics. But 
> exactly what is the problem with irradiation?

It masks poor and degraded qualities in food, esp. meat (pus and feces in 
meat,
partially rotten meat [free redicals, rencidity - very bed for health esp. 
over the long term]).

> It does not affect the food. It kills pathogens. You may argue that we 
> don't need this step, because the number of Americans killed every year 
> by food poisoning is only in the low thousands. But we are very 
> particular about our food, 

No we're not, at least not most of us - just look at what sells in the stores.


> When in doubt, look up the science on the subject.
>
> M. Elvin


More on this from sanet:

Hello Mike & other saneters following this thread,

In relation to Mike's comments regarding Leigh's post of Sunday,
November 2, 2003  in which Mike solicited:

MM> Liegh,

MM> Your article was cut off midsentence.  Would you please repost?

MM> Thanks,  Mike Miller

The last sentence read:

  Currently, the major US food irradiation company, Surebeam is on
  the ropes financially and has taken such desperate measures as
  spying on its grassroots opponents, keeping dossiers on them and
  their families and in several cases trying to use the dossiers to
  generate negative articles in ...

to which I mentally added: "the mass media."

As it turned out, all that was lacking was:

  "the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and other publications."  [in
  other words, the "entrepreneurial" mass media].

And the source, which hadn't been cited:

  Again, for more information on this issue go to
  http://www.citizen.org/cmep/foodsafety/

Surebeam was the firm that I talked to at length from Veracruz.
Their rabid "irradiate everything" stance and the answers they
provided to my questions about the (extremely high) doses required
confirmed my suspicions that this was no improvement over the
hydrothermal treatment presently required as a quarantine measure
contra the Mexican Fruit Fly, for shipping mangoes to the USA.

Joe Cummin's recent explication of the mechanisms and pathologies
associated with radiation caused tissue damage further clinched and
locked that already closed door.

The main advantage of of Surebeam's electron generating system over
competing irradiation system providers is that no radioactive
substances are used so no radioactivity is present except for when
the system is operating (they claim).

However, the smallest plant they build costs millions of dollars
(vs. 100 thousand plus for a hydrothermal treatment plant). And like
the practice of grafting fruit trees, one problem (genetic diversity
in fruit trees, food pathogens in irradiation) is resolved while
another is created (metabolic imbalance in grafted fruit tress and
their fruit, and genetic damage and toxic formations in
irradiation).

Yet another radical, mechanical rather than biological solution that
fails to satisfy the needs that spawned it. Industrial, entrepreneurial
mentality vs. Socially and Ecologically Responsible Agriculture.

Douglas

--------------

MM> On Sunday 02 November 2003 09:39, you wrote:


>>>>> >Like Hormones in beef, irradiated food is not allowed for sale in
>>>>> >Europe,  both because of safetyreasons for the consumer.


Unfortunately, this isn't really true.  France irradiates frog legs
and herbs. Each country in Europe has its own policy on irradiation.
Most only allow the irradiation of herbs and spices but Belgium,
France, Italy, Netherlands and the UK approve the irradiation of more
food items. The EU tried to come up with standardized rules last year
but an expansion was voted down.

The worlds largest food irradiators are China and South Africa.
Brazil has plans to build something like 24 food irradiation
facilities (for exporting food to the US and Europe).  Saudi Arabia,
Jordan, Morocco and Israel are planning/building facilities (for
dates?). The Philippines has funded and is building a facility.
Thailand has several food irradiation plants up and running and is
probably irradiating farmed shrimp and exporting it illegally to the
US and Europe (I understand Thai irradiated shrimp was caught coming
in to The Netherlands and being resold throughout Europe - irradiated
shrimp is still illegal in the US but enforcement is questionable).

In the US, even though the government has actively supported food
irradiation, the public isn't buying it.  The irradiated ground beef
that people might have seen in those funny little styrofoam packages
in their grocery stores didn't sell (when you open the package does
the meat really smell like a wet dog?). In fact they were only on the
shelf because the companies distributing it were paying for the shelf
space. The current industry thought/strategy in the US is the only
way they will succeed in selling irradiated food is if they get rid
of the labeling requirement.  Currently, the major US food
irradiation company, Surebeam is on the ropes financially and has
taken such desperate measures as spying on its grassroots opponents,
keeping dossiers on them and their families and in several cases
trying to use the dossiers to generate negative articles in the Wall
Street Journal, Forbes and other publications.

Again, for more information on this issue go to
http://www.citizen.org/cmep/foodsafety/

********************************************************

--
L.F.London
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech