Press
releases
SCF
in U-turn over safety of irradiated food
(March 2003)
Scientists in row over safety of irradiated foods (Oct 2002)
New report questions WHO approval for irradiated foods
(Oct
2002)
Government's lack of action on irradiation is outrageous,
say campaigners (June
2002)
Bungled Brussels vote on food irradiation puts European
consumers at risk (Nov 2002)
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Press
release 6th March, 2003
SCF in U-turn over safety of irradiated food
Europe's
most prestigious advisory committee - the Scientific Committee on Food
- has reversed its position over the safety of eating irradiated foods.
The
Food Irradiation Campaign welcomes the SCF statement issued yesterday
which explained that the SCF cannot endorse moves to allow the irradiation
of all foods above the current maximum irradiation dose limit of 10kGy.
It said it could not support this move because not enough research has
been done to assess the safety of eating foods irradiated at doses above
this level.
The
SCF statement is crucial as it comes shortly before a meeting in Tanzania
of Codex - the international food-standards setting body - to decide
whether the international standard governing food irradiation should
be changed to allow any food to be irradiated above 10kGy. At the forefront
in pushing for this weakening of the international food irradiation
standard is the USA. However the European Commission, speaking on behalf
of the EU member states, has been resisting this move. The strong statement
by the SCF serves to reinforce the EC position.
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This
latest statement by the SCF is in marked contrast to their comment in
July last year, when they concluded that there was inadequate evidence
of hazard from eating irradiated food and that such foods could be considered
safe. 1
The
SCF's statement in July was subsequently challenged in a remarkable
open letter by EU-funded research scientists who had presented evidence
of toxic compounds in irradiated fat-containing foods. The scientists
repeated their concerns and emphasised that the chemicals formed in
irradiated food '…present cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in cultured
human cells, promote colon carcinogenesis in rats and accumulate in
adipose tissues of rats fed with these compounds.' 2
1 www.iaea.org/programmes/rifa/icgfi/documents/summary-press.pdf
2 report SCF/CS/NF/IRR/26 ADD 3 Final,
3 July 2002 [http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/out135_en.pdf]
For
further details contact Merav Shub on 020 7837 9229.
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Press
release November 5th 2002
Bungled Brussels vote on food irradiation puts
European consumers at risk
A vote today by
the European Parliament's Environment Committee on legislation governing
food irradiation in Europe has led to confusion.
The vote was on
the Breyer report, which originally called for a cautious approach to
use of food irradiation, and recommended that no more foods should be
added to the list. The report was subject to a number of amendments,
the most significant of which was proposed by a French MEP, Francoise
Grossetete, of the PPE-DE group. Her Amendment 18 suggested that the
addition of a number of additional food categories including
chicken offal, egg white, peeled shrimps, frog legs, deep frozen aromatic
herbs, dried fruit, cereal flakes and germs, and gum arabic (additive)
is an option
worth considering. This Amendment was supported in the vote by the Environment
Committee.
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Confusion became
apparent as the MEPs also voted in favour of Amendment 16 which suggested
that the list could be considered complete with no more foods added
to it, and that no foods should be added until such time as science
had justified this.
Press
release October 25th 2002
Scientists in row over safety of irradiated foods
Scientists investigating
the toxicity of chemicals in irradiated food have challenged Europe's
most prestigious advisory committee - the Scientific Committee on Food
(SCF) - after the committee decided to ignore the researchers' latest
findings, the Food Magazine revealed today.
The EU-funded research
team's original study contained important new evidence of the genotoxicity
and cytotoxicity of cyclobutanones, found exclusively in irradiated
fat-containing food. The researchers' report summary said:
'The experiments demonstrate that pure compounds, known to be exclusively
formed upon irradiation of fat-containing food, exhibit some toxic effects
including promotion of colon carcinogenesis in rats… Whether these
findings are relevant to the human exposure situation needs to be analysed.
In our opinion further investigations, including confirmation of our
results by other laboratories, will help to elucidate a possible risk
associated with the consumption of irradiated fat-containing foods.'
1
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However, the SCF
concluded on 3 July 2002 that the research was not adequate to make
statements about the real risk to human health, and that they would
base their recommendations on a 15-year old review which failed to find
evidence of toxicity.2 The SCF's
decision was important because the discussion of irradiation at the
international food standards-setting body Codex was delayed in March
pending the opinion of the SCF on the results of the new research. If
the SCF gives 2-ACBs the all-clear then Codex will probably follow suit.
In a remarkable
open letter distributed in response to the SCF decision, the research
scientists repeated their main concerns and emphasised that the chemicals
in irradiated food '…present cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in
cultured human cells, promote colon carcinogenesis in rats and accumulate
in adipose tissues of rats fed with these compounds.'
In a veiled hint
against the SCF's dismissalof their work, the researchers emphasise
that their 'new data, which will be published in peer-reviewed journals,
raise some doubts or at least suggest that caution should be exercised
before any risk to consumers by exposure to these compounds is denied'.
Merav Shub, UK
Food Irradiation Campaign leader, said 'Consumers are very concerned
that the precautionary principle is being abandoned by the SCF. The
committee must re-think its position.'
Details
from Merav Shub tel: 020 7837 9229.
1.
www.iaea.org/programmes/rifa/icgfi/documents/summary-press.pdf
2. SCF report SCF/CS/NF/IRR/26 ADD
3 Final, 3 July 2002 [http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/out135_en.pdf]
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Press
release October 25th 2002
New report questions WHO approval for irradiated foods
Bad Taste: The Disturbing
Truth about the World Health Organisation's Endorsement of Food Irradiation,
published October 8th by Public Citizen, a US consumer organisation,
raises questions over the reliability of the WHO's often quoted assertion
that irradiated foods are completely safe and wholesome. The report
analyses the WHO's 40 year involvement in assessing the safety of irradiated
foods.
Coming at a time when the European Parliament is debating whether to
add more foods to the list permitted for irradiation throughout the
EU, and when Codex, the international food standards-setting body, is
debating removal of the maximum dose limit permitted for irradiation
treatment of all foods, this report urges caution over the dangers of
food irradiation.
To
view the report go to http://www.citizen.org/documents/BadTaste.pdf
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Press
release June 6th 2002
Government's lack of action on irradiation is outrageous,
say campaigners
Despite fresh evidence
published yesterday in the government's irradiation survey* that companies
are flouting the law, The Food Irradiation Campaign is shocked to learn
that the government Food Standards Agency (FSA) has no intention of
prosecuting those responsible for stocking illegal, unlabelled irradiated
food products.
"This displays
an inexcusable pro-industry stance," said Merav Shub of the Food
Irradiation Campaign. "The law is designed to protect consumers'
health from the misuse of irradiation by unscrupulous food processors,
and to protect consumers' right to know. These laws are flouted by traders
who stock illegal irradiated food products that lack the required labelling.
How many more times must companies be warned before any real action
is taken? Consumers should be protected through strong legislation that
is fully enforced without hesitation."
In February 2001
the FSA sent a written warning to several companies and organisations
involved in the food supplement trade, concerning the illegal sale of
irradiated ginseng. Since then the BBC, The Food Commission and now
the FSA have all conducted surveys, and each of these discovered irradiated
ginseng food supplements. The lack of strong enforcement by the FSA
is a green light for companies to go on breaking the law.
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The latest survey
of herbs and spices, food supplements, prawns and shrimps has revealed
that unlabelled irradiated products in each of these food categories
are still reaching our shop shelves. Particularly alarming was the high
proportion of food supplements which tested positive for irradiation.
Out of 138 samples, 58 (42%) had been irradiated or contained an irradiated
ingredient.
The Food Irradiation
Campaign calls on the governments of every EU member state immediately
to undertake similar irradiation testing surveys of high risk food products
on sale in their countries, and to act effectively in response to their
findings. It these abuses can happen in the UK, it is highly probable
that they are occurring all over Europe, putting millions of consumers
at risk and undermining their freedom of choice. Proper surveillance
and enforcement are needed to prevent this.
* For full details
see the Food Standards Agency website: http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/68301
For further information
contact Merav Shub at the Food Irradiation Campaign:
Tel: 020 7837 9229, Email: irradiation@foodcomm.org.uk
