FOOD IRRADIATION WATCH

From Food & Water Watch: A year ago French microbiologist Gilles-Eric Séralini dared to take a critical look at the safety of genetically engineered crops. He found serious problems in the health of rats fed Monsanto’s NK603 corn, and his findings were published in a prestigious academic journal, following the normal peer-review process.

His article shook up the scientific community, for it appeared to break through the industry stranglehold over the scientific discourse related to its biotech products. As I wrote last year, journal articles written about NK603 prior to the Séralini study were funded by Monsanto and made favorable findings – and several were published in a Monsanto-funded journal. This holds true for much of the research that exists on the safety of biotech crops, which is largely performed or funded by industry. This is also true of the research that regulators review when making approval decisions.

Read more: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/blogs/science-in-crisis-how-industry-controls-the-debate/

Food Irradiation is a symptom of an unsustainable inequitable system… Who dictates food regulations – who controls the methods of production? We need to address both the symptoms and the causes!

Watch this video of workers across the Pacific Rim speaking out against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, of which Australia is a negotiating member. The TPP has nothing to do with genuine free trade and everything to do with the interests of the 1% of worldwide corporate power. Read more »

We already know that fracking threatens human health, the environment, and our communities. But it could also have a negative impact our food system and the farmers who work to feed our nation.

Spills of toxic fracking chemicals can contaminate groundwater and cropland. These leaks could be harmful to livestock as well – last September StateImpact’s Susan Philips reported on a case in Pennsylvania in which 28 beef cattle encountered fracking fluid that seeped out of a holding pond. Those cows gave birth to 11 calves the following spring, but shockingly, only three calves survived. Across the country livestock exposed to toxic fracking chemicals have been killed or sickened.

Read more here:

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/blogs/fracking-and-farming-dont-mix/

“The main issue is that consumers not only rely on food dates as a reason for tossing food that is still perfectly edible and safe, but they also seem to believe that all foods will be safe prior to the expiration dates, so they will continue to eat food that has actually been stored or handled unsafely.”

“The report stems from a larger report we worked on, the Wasted Report, where we looked at the drivers and extent of food waste across the country. We landed on expiration dates as one topic that’s driving food waste, and a system that’s not really serving consumers or industry at all.” Read more »

Editorial:

“Consumers of tomatoes, which means almost all of us, are about to face a test of our trust in science. The tomato bins in shops and supermarkets will soon be replenished with stock imported from Australia and, as we disclose today, it will have been decontaminated by radiation.”

Read more here:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10892295

Kiwi growers say people are worried about side-effects of irradiated food from Australia as NZ Ministry for Primary Industries will soon make a decision whether to allow the import of irradiated foods from Australia.

“Horticulture NZ chief executive Peter Silcock says irradiated food is a concern for consumers.
“The primary concern is what impact has radiation had on the product and what impact will it have on my body when I eat it.”

Four years ago, the Australian Government banned irradiated cat food when animals developed neurological defects after being fed high-dose gamma-irradiated food.
The European Food Safety Authority is investigating the safety of irradiated food.”

Read the full article here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892349

Food Irradiation Watch

In 2013 FSANZ decided to approve the irradiation of tomatoes and capsicums. Food Irradiation Watch, GeneEthics, MADGE and Friends of the Earth Australia supported a joint submission in favour of consumer rights and health over corporate gain.

Read our full submission here. FIW Tomato sub A1069 final

Confirming once again that consumers want clean and healthy food, a UK survey has found food safety concerns mostly involve new technologies.

What the survey fails to note is that, without clear labeling, these food technologies are hard to choose to avoid. While people might read labels to avoid trans-fats and additives, even traditional means of telling if food is safe, like smell and appearance are being subverted by new technologies that change the very structure of the food. While they may lend increased shelf-life to producers, they offer no benefits to consumers and may even increase costs to end users.

Read the full report here:
http://www.foodbase.org.uk/results.php?f_category_id=&f_report_id=641

The irradiation of tomatoes & capsicums (bell peppers) has been approved by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). In Australia, all irradiation is done with nuclear material.

the average Australian consumes an estimated 23kgs of tomato-based products per year – FIWatch in submission to FZANZ

A1069 and the FSANZ assessment of it are based on primary, unpublished research conducted by Qld DEEDI, the applicant itself. Both the Queensland government and FSANZ admit the existing literature on the irradiation of tomatoes and capsicums has “limited”value or relevance. They then emphasise that their own unpublished research was conducted under conditions similar to those expected when tomatoes and
capsicums are irradiated here in Australia and appear to rely on this as the basis for their argument that they do not need to have their own research peer-reviewed or tested by an independent agent.

Now, A1069 (the application for the irradiation of tomatoes and capsicums) only requires rubber-stamping from the Ministerial Council. Each state has at least one STATE MP on the Council. Let your local member know that you say NO!!!

The irradiation of tomatoes and capsicums poses a risk to our community and is not in the public interest. A1069 must be rejected.

Australian Government:

Hon Tanya Plibersek MP
Minister for Health and Ageing
150 Broadway, Chippendale NSW 2008 Minister.Plibersek@health.gov.au

The Hon Catherine King, MP
Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing
PO Box 6022, House of Representatives
Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Catherine.King.MP@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 2477, Brisbane QLD 4001 joe.ludwig@maff.gov.au

New Zealand:

The Hon Nikki Kaye. MP,Minister for Food Safety
P.O. Box 47-658,Ponsonby
Auckland 1144 New Zealand mp.aucklandcentral@parliament.govt.nz

Australian State & Territory Reps:

QLD

Lead Minister: The Hon Lawrence Springborg, MP
Minister for Health
GPO Box 48, Brisbane QLD 4001 Health@ministerial.qld.gov.au

The Hon John McVeigh MP
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 46, Brisbane QLD 4001 Agriculture@ministerial.qld.gov.au

NSW

Lead Minister: Ms Katrina Hodgkinson, MP
Minister for Primary Industries
Level 30 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000 office@hodgkinson.minister.nsw.gov.au

Mrs Jillian Skinner, MP, Minister for Health
Level 31 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000 office@skinner.minister.nsw.gov.au

NT

The Hon David Tollner, MLA, Minister for Health
GPO Box 3146 Darwin NT 0801
Email: Minister.tollner@nt.gov.au

VIC

Lead Minister: The Hon David Davis, MLC
Minister for Health
Shop 4, 976 Riversdale Rd., Surrey Hills VIC 3127 david.davis@parliament.vic.gov.au

The Hon Peter Walsh, MP
Minister for Agriculture and Food Security
Level 20,1 Spring Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 peter.walsh@parliament.vic.gov.au

WA

Lead Minister: The Hon Dr Kim Hames, MB BS JP MLA, Minister for Health
PO Box 5551 Falcon WA 6210
kim.hames@mp.wa.gov.au

The Hon Terry Redman, MLA
Minister for Agriculture and Food
11th Floor, Dumas House
2 Havelock Street, West Perth WA 6005 Minister.Redman@dpc.wa.gov.au

TAS

Lead Minister: The Hon Michelle O’Byrne, MP
Minister for Health
GPO Box 1470, Hobart TAS 7000 Michelle.O’Byrne@parliament.tas.gov.au

ACT

Ms Katy Gallagher, MLA
Minister for Health
GPO Box 1020, Canberra ACT 2601 gallagher@act.gov.au

SA

Lead Minister: The Hon Jack Snelling, MP
Minister for Health and Ageing
GPO Box 2555 Adelaide SA 5001 Email: Minister.health@health.sa.gov.au

The Hon Gail Gago, MLC
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
GPO Box 464 Adelaide SA 5001 Email: minister.gago@sa.gov.au

Australian Local Government Association:

Councillor Bill McArthur
Golden Plains Shire
President of the Municipal Association of Victoria
PO Box 111,Bannockburn VIC 3331