Health Canada to Approve Irradiated Beef

[pepsilover]

Step right up, for a feast of GMO salmon and irradiated beef.

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... htm#166914

<snip> Health Canada will propose regulatory changes to Food and Drug Regulations next month that would allow the sale of irradiated ground beef in Canada.

A webpage on the department's website states the proposed amendments would add fresh and frozen raw ground beef to a list of foods that are already permitted to undergo radiation treatment.

It says the purpose would be to would allow, but not require, the beef industry to use irradiation to "improve the safety of their products."

Health Canada spokeswoman Maryse Durette says the proposed regulations for ground beef will be announced in June in the Canada Gazette and that a public consultation period will follow.

Industry groups in Canada have sought irradiation for over a decade as a way to prevent the spread of E. coli and other dangerous bacteria, but negative public reaction to it has slowed progress.

Health Canada earlier proposed to permit the sale of irradiated ground beef in 2002, but according to the web page it was never finalized "due to mostly negative stakeholder reaction."

"I think public perception has changed," says Mark Klassen, director of technical services with the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, based in Alberta.

"When we ask Canadians if they think they should be able to purchase irradiated beef, they're accepting of it."

Irradiation involves bombarding meat with radiant energy similar to X-rays. Critics claim it produces toxic compounds, like benzene, and reduces the nutritional value of food. They also say it changes the taste of meat. <snip>

Yummy.

[oneh2obabe]

From the article ... Currently, onions, potatoes, wheat, flour, whole wheat flour, and whole or ground spices and dehydrated seasonings are approved for irradiation and sale in Canada.

Would appear your list of consumable foods will be getting smaller and smaller if you want to exclude irradiated foods from your diet.

[frazdog]

Now this begs the question "Do we blame the current govt for this approval?" I recall from the forum on the approval of GMO salmon by Health Canada that there was quite the uproar over our current PM for allowing that approval under his watch. As a conservative supporter I believe that a conservative govt would also rely on Health Canada recommendations.

[K_teela]

It's amazing how people pick and choose which sections of an article to use to suit their own needs. I'm also curious as to why you wanted to bring up GMO salmon, as that's not even mentioned once in the article. I wish people actually looked at both sides of the argument, rather than trying to push an agenda and create arguments.

This is also from the article:

n 2012, 18 people in British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador got sick from E. coli linked to beef from the facility, leading to the largest meat recall in Canadian history.

Industry groups in Canada have sought irradiation for over a decade as a way to prevent the spread of E. coli and other dangerous bacteria

Lacroix also notes irradiation will not significantly alter the taste, nor will it reduce nutrients at the radiation doses that would be used for meat, a conclusion she notes was confirmed by a joint committee of the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Currently, onions, potatoes, wheat, flour, whole wheat flour, and whole or ground spices and dehydrated seasonings are approved for irradiation and sale in Canada.

Durette at Health Canada would not comment on what sort of labelling might be required for irradiated meat, such as a symbol which is required in the U.S. The website does, however, state that irradiated ground beef would need to be clearly labelled like all other irradiated foods.

Bruce Cran of the Consumers Association of Canada, which has been lobbying for irradiation, is pleased with Health Canada's decision to move forward on ground beef. But he says chicken and salad vegetables should be irradiated, too.

"The science has been in on this one for decades that it does no harm," says Cran, who adds the risk of foodborne illnesses is high without it.

Do I agree with it? I'm not sure, at least it'll be labeled for those who choose to avoid it.

[pepsilover]

From the article ... Currently, onions, potatoes, wheat, flour, whole wheat flour, and whole or ground spices and dehydrated seasonings are approved for irradiation and sale in Canada.

Would appear your list of consumable foods will be getting smaller and smaller if you want to exclude irradiated foods from your diet.

Just because it says they are 'approved' for irradiation and sale doesn't mean they ARE for sale, unless of course they are being sold without being labelled. Whoops. I have never bought an onion or potato that was labelled in this manner. Maybe you have.

"Durette at Health Canada would not comment on what sort of labelling might be required for irradiated meat, such as a symbol which is required in the U.S. The website does, however, state that irradiated ground beef would need to be clearly labelled like all other irradiated foods."

Salad greens are also on the list of foods that they want to irradiate.

So apparently you aren't interested in the consumer knowing what they are putting into their body, or caring if it is labelled so people can make an informed decision.

[pepsilover]

Now this begs the question "Do we blame the current govt for this approval?" I recall from the forum on the approval of GMO salmon by Health Canada that there was quite the uproar over our current PM for allowing that approval under his watch. As a conservative supporter I believe that a conservative govt would also rely on Health Canada recommendations.

I'm of the understanding the mods don't want this to be a partisan issue since a reference to Trudeau was taken out of the first post before there was the first response. If I type something like that it gets removed, so I'll leave it up to you to discuss.

[frazdog]

Agreed this should not be a partisan issue.

[pepsilover]

Do I agree with it? I'm not sure, at least it'll be labeled for those who choose to avoid it.

Pick and choose? LOL I suggest you read the article, it was copied as it was written by the author. As to labelling, you obviously have not read the article yourself.

[Bsuds]

Well maybe as well as labeling irradiated foods they should also label the ones which have a high probability of containing e-coli.
Then it would be the consumers choice to eat either food that could possibly make you sick or food that is less likely too.

[Barney Google]

Canadians need to demand clear and understandable labeling of all foods. It seems like ever day we move further and further away from natural healthy foods. It truly disgusts me how our food sources are being 'tainted' by science.

[Bsuds]

Also from the article...

"Bruce Cran of the Consumers Association of Canada, which has been lobbying for irradiation, is pleased with Health Canada's decision to move forward on ground beef. But he says chicken and salad vegetables should be irradiated, too.

"The science has been in on this one for decades that it does no harm," says Cran, who adds the risk of foodborne illnesses is high without it."

So now making food safer for the consumer is "tainting" it?

[pepsilover]

Well maybe as well as labeling irradiated foods they should also label the ones which have a high probability of containing e-coli.
Then it would be the consumers choice to eat either food that could possibly make you sick or food that is less likely too.

When it comes to beef, there have been guidelines in place for cooking same for decades, and that is BECAUSE there is e-coli and other types of harmful bacteria present in ground beef. That's why you aren't supposed to eat raw ground beef.

I wonder if irradiation would eliminate the Mad Cow virus in beef, I don't see any mention of that. As it stands, it seems that irradiation would serve the purpose of those who don't know how to cook ground beef properly, or have a meat thermometer.

[K_teela]

Do I agree with it? I'm not sure, at least it'll be labeled for those who choose to avoid it.

Pick and choose? LOL I suggest you read the article, it was copied as it was written by the author. As to labelling, you obviously have not read the article yourself.

"Durette at Health Canada would not comment on what sort of labelling might be required for irradiated meat, such as a symbol which is required in the U.S. The website does, however, state that irradiated ground beef would need to be clearly labelled like all other irradiated foods."

[pepsilover]

K Teela. Health Canada WOULD NOT COMMENT on the labelling. Read between the lines. Just because they SAY that it 'needs to be' doesn't mean it will be. Sigh.........

When is the last time you bought potatoes or onions that were labelled with an irradiated sticker? The article says the beef 'needs to be labelled' like 'all other irradiated foods' and those foods are listed. I've never seen any onions with an irradiated label, have you? Maybe it is one of those wee, tiny red labels that consumers don't understand and can't see, I don't know. But I'll be sure to be looking for them, and asking the produce manager at my local Save-On. Wonder if the employees even know what to look for.

Read between the lines.

[K_teela]

K Teela. Health Canada WOULD NOT COMMENT on the labelling. Read between the lines. Just because they SAY that it 'needs to be' doesn't mean it will be. Sigh.........

When is the last time you bought potatoes or onions that were labelled with an irradiated sticker? The article says the beef 'needs to be labelled' like 'all other irradiated foods' and those foods are listed. I've never seen any onions with an irradiated label, have you? Maybe it is one of those wee, tiny red labels that consumers don't understand and can't see, I don't know. But I'll be sure to be looking for them, and asking the produce manager at my local Save-On. Wonder if the employees even know what to look for.

Read between the lines.

They did not comment on WHICH TYPE of labelling to use, not whether or not to label. This most likely means it’s too early in the process to know which type of labelling they will use.
Also, it’s an entirely different topic of labelling, and you’re getting ahead of yourself. This post/article is about the approval of irradiated beef, if you don’t like the labelling/lack of labelling announced in the near future, then that would be an entirely different discussion.