The US Food and Drug Administration has made a controversial decision that food irradiation critics are condemning on both sides of the border.

Recently, fresh spinach and lettuce were added to the list of foods that American producers are allowed to zap with rays emitted by radioactive substances to kill germs.

In Canada, food manufacturers can irradiate potatoes and onions (to inhibit sprouting), wheat flour (to control insects) and whole ground spices and dehydrated seasonings (to reduce microbial content).

There remain concerns, however, about this nuclear technology. While the
FDA and Health Canada promote its safety, there is a new class of chemicals created during the process that have been
shown to cause genetic and cell damage in animals and humans.

More of these "unique, radiolytic products and free radicals also created have never been completely identified,
much less adequately evaluated for safety," notes Public Citizen, a US consumer watchdog group. Other research has shown that irradiation can result in nutrient and enzyme losses in food.

Here in Canada, manufacturers must only disclose irradiation if a single ingredient makes up more than 10 percent of
the whole product. If a product contained four irradiated ingredients with each at 9 percent, it still wouldn't be labeled with the international symbol for irradiation
called a radura.

Look for products that are certified organic or that specify non-irradiated on the label, and ask questions of your grocers and favourite manufacturers.

Health Action Network Society has published articles on irradiation since the 1980s in Health Action magazine. Read
them at www.hans.org.

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