food irradiation watch
food irradiation - unsafe:unwanted:unnecessary
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Food Irradiation Watch is an affiliate of Friends of the Earth Australia
Australian Consumers Association
Friends of the Earth Australia
Greenpeace True Foods
Campaign
European Food Irradiation Campaign
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Food
and Agriculture Organisation
& the International Atomic Energy Agency
News at FI Watch
Food with a Future - In Conversation with Roberto Perez
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2008. Brisbane Town Hall, 6pm.
A nation under threat is capable of dramatic change. Ten years is all it took for Cuba to transform itself in the face of disaster.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba’s highly industrialised farms lost their supply of oil overnight. The US embargo made their transition into a low carbon economy much harder. Medical imports and foreign investment almost ended. Premature births from malnourished mothers were common. The economy went into free-fall.
In desperation, everyone started growing food wherever they could - on roofs, in public parks, streets, gardens and vacant land.
But Cuba made important decisions fast...come and hear from one of Cuba’s leading community gardening experts how these decisions have transformed Cuba into the world’s first low carbon economy where farmers have secure jobs and earn a good income.
New brand names join our Irradiation Free Food Guide
NEW! Cerebos have recently joined the green category of the Irradiation Free Food Guide. Cerebos brands include: Riva, Mocopan, Gravox, Fountain, Saxa, Foster Clark's desserts, Tandaco and also Cerebos Gregg's Ltd, which operates in New Zealand.
Masterfoods, Nerada Tea, Kookaburra Raw Peanuts & Camp Oven Mixes Cake Mixes, Grove Fruit Juice and Bakers Delight have all sent through irradiation-free policies and will now be listed in the green section of the Irradiation-free Food Guide. While Kookaburra and Grove are new to the Guide, Baker’s Delight is listed in this year’s version in the “Red - non-respondent category.” It is great to see them make the effort to get in to the Green. We hope all of these companies’ commitment will inspire others to go irradiation-free Irradiation-free honor roll.
Several companies stand out in the efforts to oppose food irradiation in Australia this year.
The Pancake Parlour restaurant chain in Victoria has distributed an average of 200 Irradiation-free Food Guides at each of its ten stores, making it a great disseminator of information as well as a dedicated pro-organic, irradiation-free business and a delicious place to eat.
Abundance Herbs based in Brisbane has been a great campaign supporter and one of the only businesses we have seen that labels their products “free from irradiation.” Sonia Fletcher from Abundance Herbs says all her products are labelled free from irradiation, pesticides, herbicides, GM ingredients and artificial fertilizers because people need to be aware of these potentially harmful processes. Sonia makes her on non-irradiated herbal infusions and has been a keen distributor of the Guide.
Food Connect, an organic (or near organic) food delivery service based on Community Supported Agriculture principles has also been active in distributing guides, supporting the cause and feeding the campaign.
Absolutely Organics in Western Australia and Happy High Herbs nationally have also been great irradiation-free food advocates this year.
Film and organic, low-food miles feast a massive success!
Over 250 people attended our joint event with Food Connect & FoE Brisbane held at Ahimsa House. Farmer John Petersen and his film : "the Real Dirt on Farmer John" was a hit with the viewers and the many local and organic farmers who attended.
Everyone ate well off a feast of salads, pizzas, quiche and desserts made from organic and local producers by the volunteers at FI Watch and FoE Brisbane. Thanks to all who made the night a great success.
You can continue the joy by joining FoE Brisbane www.brisbane.foe.org.au or subscribing for your local organic veggies in Brisbane with Food Connect www.foodconnect.com.au
Zapped Aussie mangoes back on New Zealand shelves in 2007/2008 season
Food Irradiation Watch and Friends of the Earth New Zealand have been monitoring the access of Australian grown and irradiatied mangoes into the NZ marketplace.
Mangoes originating in the Northern Territory and possibly being irradiated in Queensland are already appearing in NZ stores. The mangoes in question are the Tou's brand.
A warning to NZ consumers: in our experience, irradiated mangoes are NOT always labelled. If you want to avoid irradiated foods, be sure to ask the shop managers.
New report on the status of Food Irradiation around the world
U.S. advocacy group, Food & Water Watch have released a new report "Food Irradiation Around the World". Download your copy [here]
Some excerpts from the report:
- In February 2006, AEA Technology (AEAT), a company that was formerly part of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, was found guilty of a series of failings that led to a Cobalt- 60 transportation incident two years ago.
- In Ireland, 14 samples of noodles tested positive for irradiated ingredients. None of them were labeled.
- The EU has placed on ban on further irradiation approvals due to scientific research questioning the safety of some chemicals formed when food is exposed to radiation.
- A string of failures makes it clear there is little demand for irradiated food in the United States. As a result of low consumer demand, several irradiation companies have struggled.
- Despite a very strong push from the government, irradiation remains widely unpopular among consumers in Australia and New Zealand, so no new irradiation applications have been made. Labeling in Australia and New Zealand is still inadequate, as is monitoring by the government.