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Short briefing about food irradiation in Europe

A coalition of European NGOs have launched a campaign against food irradiation in the European Union.

Food irradiation involves exposing food to energy from sources such as gamma rays, X-rays or electron beams.

The aim is to kill harmful bacteria and other microorganisms that may cause food poisoning. Irradiation has other effecs such as delaying ripening and sprouting in foods, thereby helping to extend shelf life.

The Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission have established principles for the irradiation of foods together with control procedures.

In Europe, EU Directive 1999/2/EC provides for the laws concerning foods and food ingredients treated with ionising radiation. To date, only one food category - dried herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings - has been included on the list of foods that may be irradiated. The Directive specifies provisions including the source of ionising radiation, controls on the level of radiation permitted and food labelling requirements. Conditions are also specified for the importation of irradiated foods.

In Europe, food irradiation is not widely used. Only a few licences have been granted for the irradiation of spices. In the USA, food irradiation has been widely used on red meat, especially ground meats. All foods that have been irradiated must be clearly marked as such.

Different opinions in Europe

The "European Food Irradiation Campaign" argues that food irradiation can cause cancer or destroy key nutrients (eg vitamin A and C). Among other demands, they call on the European Union to close the list of foodstuff that can be irradiated and to develop control programmes. Their full statement can be viewed in the attachment.

On the contrary, the Heart of Mersey and some of EPHA’s members - the British Medical Association (BMA), the Royal College of Physicians of London, Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Network (ChaMPS) - believe that irradiation, carried out under certain conditions, is a safe and effective food processing method that can prevent poisoning, reduce the amount of saturated fat and kill bacteria in foods. Their whole statement can be downloaded below.

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- Members of the European Food Irradiation Campaign

- European Commission food safety website

- World Health Organisation

Last modified on février 18 2006.

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15 mai 2006 21:29, par Charles GM Kenyon

Short briefing about food irradiation in Europe

To summarise ;

The benefits to allowing the irradiation of animal derivates seems to out way the costs.

The benefit to allowing the irradiation of plant derivates does seem to out way the costs.

Reasoning out lined below :

The European Food Irradiation Campaigns statement is unconvincing. The FAQ on their website is more interesting. It would seem to support a position of not irradiating vegetables, very well.

The case for avoiding the irradiation of meat seems much weaker.

Heart of Mersey’s statement seems to make a very good case for the irradiation of animal products but the case for irradiating vegetables is not well made. There are other preservative methods for vegetables that are more effective (in terms of shelf life), canning, freezing and drying. At no point do they indicate the gain from an increased intake of older fresh fruit and vegetables would be grater than general loss in freshness.

The consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables is driven by demand ; or in many parts a lack of demand. The national retailers would have no difficulty in supplying fresh fruit and if there was the demand.

The opposition on the grounds of resource priorities also seems weak as the clarifying and holding a position would not seem to require much in the way of resources.

Charles GM Kenyon