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Consumer Comments on Food Irradiation 10
***please do not allow the irradiation of vegetables.
*** I am horrified at the idea of irradiating food, and will certainly do everything possible to avoid eating such damaged stuff. Why not get farms to clean up their act, rather than destroying the good enzymes etc in food? At a minimum, anything irradiated should be fully labeled, including anything used by restaurants and other organizations that serve food, so that people can avoid eating it unknowingly.
*** We at Oregon Consumers and Farmers Association believe too many foods are
being irradiated without pubic knowledge as it is. Irradiation kills enzyme needed to digest foods, alters molecular structures, changes structures and likely
increases the rate of cancer. We strongly oppose irradiating greens. Those foods
that are already irradiated should be clearly labeled as such and not
called "pasteurized."
***It is criminal to foster irradiation of vegetables on the public to extend the shelf life and control of food borne pathogen. The simple act of washing and soaking vegetables as well as proper cooking has controlled pathogens for centuries.. Radiation kills all the active nutrients that our bodies need to sustain our health.and cannot be called protective. I am totally against such irresponsible action!
***I am strenuously opposed to the use of ionizing radiation as a food treatment. I
do not feel that this method has been proven safe and in my view will seriously
detract from the nutritional value of these foods and possibly even be a cause
of health problems arising in consumers. Please reconsider this proposal.
***
Where will this stop. Why not encourage more local farming rather than big
business from any country where food can be purchased for mass consumption. If
we irradiate the consumers, then there will be no one to purchase the food.
Where is the consciousness for human life and quality of life. Is it only to serve big business? I completely and totally disagree with this practice. Maybe the FDA has already lost too many brain cells due to what they allow for human
consumption.
***LEAVE OUR FOOD ALONE-NO IRRADIATION
***I am opposed to the irradiation of foodstuff unlabeled that the FDA is proposing. The changes is food quality is evident experimentally in the health and diseases that irradiated food produces. Consumers are not given a choice if irradiated food can be served unlabeled in food services and other venues. The safety issue of irradiated food has not been resolved to my satisfaction. Dr. Thomas D. Worden
***I strongly oppose vegetable being irradiated, it is unnecessary and will take all the
nutrients out.
***I and fellow constituents of the state of Idaho stand absolutely opposed to the use of radiation on our foods as being proposed herein. Have the scientific, academic and government authorities all become mad scientists? How intelligent does on have to be to recognize that any artificial process which changes the molecular structure in order to kill bacteria can and likely will cause other unknown and unwanted molecular changes within the food. In an effort to control bacteria, which can be controlled through simple hygiene and sanitation, why are you willing to place everyone who consumes irradiated food at unknown and unpredictable risk? This proposal borders on the insane!!!! Duane L. McMurdie
*** There are many ways to kill bacteria on vegetables without irradiation which will generate free radicals.
***I oppose the use of radiation for vegetables.
***Makes no sense to irradiate food. It kills pathogens but also inactivates nutrients, rendering food useless as a source of nutrients.
Pete Mattli, DDS
3805 Scarborough Court
Clermont, FL 34711
pmattli@cfl.rr.com
888 We think there is not enough research on how safe this method is. It appears you will be getting rid of healthy nurishments.
***I know you will go ahead with irradiating food but,we should all be told though if
this has been done. Places that sell or distribute food should have to inform the public if the food is irradiated. We should be entilted to at least have that.
***PLEASE DO NOT APPROVE THE IRRADIATION OF LETTUCE & SPINACH.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE MUTATIONS THAT COULD OCCUR,
ABOUT THE LACK OF LABELING SUCH TREATED FOODS IN RESTAURANTS WHICH THEREFORE
TAKES AWAY MY CHOICES IN WHAT I EAT OR CHOOSE NOT TO EAT,
ABOUT THE FORMATION OF CARCINOGENIC CHEMICALS,
ABOUT THE FORMATION OF FREE RADICALS
& NOT THE LEAST - THE LOSS OF NUTRIENTS IN OUR FOODS - THE VERY REASON WE EAT!
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING US SAFER - NOT MAKING OUR FOODS MORE DANGEROUS!
PLEASE CHOOSE SOME OF THE SAFER ALTERNATIVES.
***X-ray, NO WAY! It alters the food and creates free radicals. Those of us who refuse to eat irradiated food demand that it be labeled so we can avoid it.
***Organic has to stay organic! No radiated no pesticide. Give us the choice to not get ill unbeknowns to us! I do not believe that extending shelf life is more important than human life. Please do not pass approval on this FDA regulation
***t very much concerns me that it is now permissible to irradiate vegetables.The process like microwaving alters the cellular structure of food and is certainly not the way God intended us to eat our food. I read of a study done by children growing plants with regular water and microwaved water. The results showed the
plants watered with nuked water were very unhealthy. It will be the same with irradiated food. Please stop this unnecessary process. Sincerely Glenn Gross
***Do NOT irradiate our produce!!!!
***Pleased do not allow ionizing radiation fo lettuce and spinach.
***How can you even consider irradiating our food products? Irradiation kills all the vitamins and other nutrients in food. What you are proposing is very dangerous and can lead to terrible consequences down the line..
*** We can irradiate people
and kill ALL pathogens! |
STOP vegetable irradiation. It will kill your
loved ones. Mandate industry to clean up the faulty methods they use now --to save money.
***I strongly oppose the irradiation of foods. The change to the nutrients are still unknown. The risks of food contamination are very minimal.
Sincerely Brian J Smith DDS
***I am against irradiated food, and if this goes forward I will not buy lettuce or spinach. It cannot be good for your health. Irradiation will destroy all the beneficial properties of the produce. No tests have been run on what this does to the body and I feel it is very detrimental. Who wants to eat "nuked" food? I won't even use the microwave to cook with. I don't need to buy food that is void of vitamins/minerals that is liable to cause health problems.
*** No irradiation of our food. I know how to clean my raw food and don't want it irradiated!
***When is the FDA going to live up to it's mandate of protecting the consumer rather than poisoning them with unproven medicines, food additives, and now irradiated foods.
*** Please don't irradiate our food. I want access to fresh food without irradiation.
***Stop messing with Organic Foods.
We do not need irradiation or any other treatment of fruits or vegetables.
Organic means grown natures way ONLY.
***After having thoroughly research food irradiation for a presentation, I was paid to give at a conference in Washington DC with 600 people, I am very against the irradiation of food. It damages the food and produces radiolytic compounds that have never been seen before and have never been studied for safety. The public deserves the availability of fresh produce and meats, without the effects of irradiation. In addition.
restaurants, hospitals and schools will then serve this food to unwitting consumers with no labeling, who therefore have no choice. Hospitals, which government studies have shown already serve very inadequate foods, will have their foods further destroyed. This is all simply to allow an industry to AVOID having to spend the money to clean up their processing so that the foods will be safe and not require further antibacterial measures to undue their poor sanitary procedures.. Stop protecting the food industry from important regulations and start protecting the public. That is your purpose. In addition NEVER allow any form of irradiation without clear labeling so that consumers can continue to have free choice, Thank you David Getoff (.com)
***I am totally against the FDA's proposal to irradiate vegetables in order to eliminate contamination.
This procedure would not only greatly reduce the health benefits of vegetables, but would also pose possible serious health risks. Please reconsider this proposed procedure.
*** I want to voice my objection to food irradiation for the following reasons. Also, the American consumer must be protected in the marketplace from harmful practices. Irradiating food makes food more dangerous, not safer. Some major concerns with food irradiation include:
The formation of free radicals, which can set off chain reactions in the body that
destroy antioxidants, tear apart cell membranes, and make the body more
susceptible to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, liver damage, muscular breakdown
and other serious problems.
***Re: FDA Approval of Irradiated Lettuce and Spinach-Irradiation of foods may sound like a good idea but if it kills pathogens, it also kills the life giving nutrients that make fruits and vegetables healthy for us all. It also helps the formation of carcinogenic chemicals, like benzene and toluene. Also, shoppers may choose not to purchase these fruits and vegetables but there is no knowledge of what has been done to foods served in restaurants and served to unaware patrons.
Please DO NOT pass the legislation to require fruits and vegetables to be
irradiated. Thank you. Carolyn Papulski
***Please don't irradiate our food supply because when you do you destroy the good nutrients in the food thats bee erradiated. Don't be bought off by special interest groups because this is something that will undermine the health of the people of the United States.
Thank you, Betsy Danner
***I don't think that using radiation for control of food borne pathogens and the such is a good idea it sounds like the FDA is trying to kill more people off by doing this.
***Dear Sirs: Please do not irradiate our spinach lettuce,nor any of our other fruits&vegetables,which,is our livelyhood.This action,would spread cancerous toxins to all of the American ,on our continent. sincerely Yours, Donald Drake
***
-Serious health problems in laboratory testing, including, including premature
death, fatal internal bleeding, cancer, stillbirths and other reproductive problems, mutations and other genetic damage, organ malfunctions, stunted growth and vitamin deficiencies.
The American consumer depends on your agency for its protection.
Your serious consideration is appreciated.
***Please do not do this to our food supply and destroy what little nutrition that it has now.
***I certainly don't understand your logic with irradiating vegetables. If you irradicate
my veggies then you will certainly kill all the food nutrients also and leave my
body full of harmful toxins and goodness knows we are bombarded with poisons and
toxins in our food supply. Guess I will have to resort to growing my own food to
stay healthy who does the FDA protect in this case surely not me.
Please make sue that all food is properly labeled that has been irradicated no
matter where it is , restaurant, hospital, street vendor, Schools, ANYWHERE.
Another question, whose best interest are you looking out for? NOT MINE.!
***
Please stop allowing the irradiating of our food supply which makes food more
dangerous, not safer. Your job is to keep us safe not nuked!!!!!!!!!
I am most concerned with the formation of free radicals, which can set off chain
reactions in the body that destroy antioxidants, tear apart cell membranes, and
make the body more susceptible to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, liver damage,
muscular breakdown and other serious problems.
Serious health problems in laboratory testing, including, including premature
death, fatal internal bleeding, cancer, stillbirths and other reproductive problems, mutations and other genetic damage, organ malfunctions, stunted growth and vitamin deficiencies.
The creating mutant forms of dangerous bacteria, like E. coli and Salmonella
Nutrient loss in foods, including the destruction of vitamins and essential fatty
acids.
The formation of carcinogenic chemicals, like benzene and toluene.
While irradiated lettuce and spinach must be labeled in supermarkets, there are
currently no labeling requirements for restaurants serving irradiated produce or
other items. Patrons and clients may consume irradiated lettuce and spinach in
the future without their knowledge, nor consent.
***Please do not use ionizing radiation on our foods. Thank you for your consideration.
***Dear Representative of the Government, I strongly protest the irradiation of foods for the following reasons drawn up by responsible people who care about the health of each one of us: Genie Sachs Visit OCA's Irradiation Alternatives
page for more information.
***I think vegetables should not be radiated to destroy bacteria because it also destroys nutrients. And if they are, at least have them labeled, for health conscious consumers like myself, so they can know what they ae eating. There should also be nonirradiated foods available..
***I don't want my food irradiated.
***I urge you to reverse your decision to irradiate spinach and lettuce or other vegetables. I understand the need for safe food, but irradiation does not accomplish that goal. Along with harmful bacteria, it would destroy valuable nutrients and possibly form carcinogens and mutant dangerous bacterial like e. coli and salmonella. A much better alternative is to address the root cause of food-borne pathogens - poor farming practices with the elimination of "factory farms", or CFOs, where there is overcrowding and confinement of farm animals and where animal waste run-off mingles with human food and water sources. This is the source of recent and most contamination of food. The other source of major contamination is poor hygiene in food handling and processing operations. This requires effective education and strict enforcement of hygiene standards. By addressing the root causes of food contamination, irradiation becomes unnecessary and is a much healthier, eco-friendly alternative for everyone. So, I urge you to reverse the decision to irradiate vegetables and other foods.
***Irradiated lettuce, spinach and other vegetables and foods are not healthy and need to be appropriately labeled in schools, institutions, and other facilities as well as in supermarkets. Americans do not know what they are purchasing and thus are denied the choice of healthier foods.
***Food irradiation plays roulette with public health because the long term human health effects cannot be fully known. It is an insidious violation of food quality.***do NOT allow irradiation of ANY vegetables!!!!!!
*** I don't use a microwave, so please do not radiate vegetables. We should have a
choice, and if you do, when we eat out or go to places where they are no required to let us know that they're using radiated food, we won't!!
*** Please leave our food alone. Radiation types of treatment may kill bacteria on the
raw food, but also will kill all the nutrients. The real problem is not with the food, but with the way it is picked and processed. We need improved process control in every phase of picking, distributing, handling and processing our raw foods. The quality methods of Dr. Deming and Dr. Juran (the methods used by the
Toyota automobile industry) include Statistical Process Control and Just In Time
techniques, They are used in many manufacturing industries and service
industries as well (banking, insurance, customer service, film industry). Many of
these simple methods are applicable to the food industry as well. I have worked
with several such companies (such as Anhueser-Busch) setting up SPC training
programs to improve the quality and safety of products while reducing costs.
*** Please do not allow the irradiation of fresh vegetables, we already have to contend with pesticides on our foods. We would like to have all the benefits of
natural foods without altering their physical state. Sincerely ,Dr. Ronald I
Glaeser,Anchorage, Alaska
***Please do not irradiate our food. Please leave our lettuce and spinach alone. we do not need more protection of our vegetables. Thanks. rose togami
***I am so completely opposed to eating any food substance that unknowingly has been irradiated or nuked or anything beyond the norm (even having pesticides on it is bad enough, I think it should be labeled what pesticides are on each food) Don't pass this. We deserve to know what has been done to our food before consumption!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
***Please stop this irradiation of foods. Please inform yourselves of the inherent danger to our food supply in terms of its nutrient qualities. Or is this secondary to the bottom line of the food industry!.
*** Dear FDA officials, Please reverse your decision to allow foods and vegetables to be irradiated. Irradiated food is not a wise practice. Please consider the following problems with irradiation of food, which are discussed at
http://www.organicconsumers.org/irrad/irradiationcomment.htm.
"-The formation of free radicals, which can set off chain reactions in the body that destroy antioxidants, tear apart cell membranes, and make the body more
susceptible to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, liver damage, muscular breakdown
and other serious problems.
"-Serious health problems in laboratory testing, including, including premature
death, fatal internal bleeding, cancer, stillbirths and other reproductive problems, mutations and other genetic damage, organ malfunctions, stunted growth and vitamin deficiencies.
"-The creating mutant forms of dangerous bacteria, like E. coli and Salmonella
"-Nutrient loss in foods, including the destruction of vitamins and essential fatty acids.
"-The formation of carcinogenic chemicals, like benzene and toluene.
"-While irradiated lettuce and spinach must be labeled in supermarkets, there are
currently no labeling requirements for restaurants serving irradiated produce or
other items. Patrons and clients may consume irradiated lettuce and spinach in
the future without their knowledge, nor consent."
Certainly, if any food is irradiated, consumers should be told and companies
should be required to label their food as being irradiated. But most importantly, as shown above there a many sound reasons not to irradiate food, and therefore I do not support the irradiation of any food. I believe FDA would fail in it's
responsibility to keep our food supply safe if the FDA allows the irradiation of
food. I fully stand with you to change you decision. Please do not let our food to
be irradiated. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Greg Hochman
***You want to nuke are food now! What are you drugs? Paulson is bad enough, but you people take it to another level.
*** I am appalled to think that food I consume at a restaurant or hotel or nursing home may have been irradiated. This is a wrong headed approach to solving this
problem. The attention should be put on the practices of the big ag producers and
the burden of safety of their products put on them through testing, not ruining the nutritional content of our food and furthering degrading the health of our nation. And further taking away the rights of citizens.
*** I am against radiation of our food supply unless the label of origin specifies that
this food has been radiated. It is the right of the consumer to have this
information. Thanks
***To whom it may concern,
I read a article about you wanting to irradiate our vegetables. There are many
alternatives to irradiation. Go to this web site and see for yourself.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/irrad/irradiationcomment.htm.
Visit OCA's Irradiation Alternatives page for more information. By you using
irradiation, it will kill any good nutrients in the vegetables. Look at your other
options. G. W. C.
***We can avoid lettuce and spinach. We can also avoid beef thats been injected with hormones and antibiotics. We understand that there is more money in sickness than in health. Please stop promoting sickness and death.
Irradiating food makes food more dangerous, not safer. Some major concerns with
food irradiation include:
-The formation of free radicals, which can set off chain reactions in the body that destroy antioxidants, tear apart cell membranes, and make the body more
susceptible to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, liver damage, muscular breakdown
and other serious problems.
-Serious health problems in laboratory testing, including, including premature
death, fatal internal bleeding, cancer, stillbirths and other reproductive problems, mutations and other genetic damage, organ malfunctions, stunted growth and vitamin deficiencies.
-The creating mutant forms of dangerous bacteria, like E. coli and Salmonella
-Nutrient loss in foods, including the destruction of vitamins and essential fatty
acids.(great idea: let's destroy the nutrients in food and then ban vitamins and
supplements...more sickness...more cancer...more death...more money)
-The formation of carcinogenic chemicals, like benzene and toluene.This should
help.
*** As a physician with knowledge of both physics and nutrition, irradiating food is a further degradation of our food supply. While I personally buy local, farmers market type food, which is unlikely to be irradiated, vast populations will likely be exposed to large amounts of unnatural, dead
substances in irradiated food that we as humans have not been evolved to handle. Please do not allow food to be irradiated. Better sanitation at the source is the answer. The source of the contaminations have likely been feedlot runoff, not something wrong with the vegetables themselves.
*** This is not a solution to the problem. This is a problem. This decision by the FDA is pure laziness.
***STOP IT. Stop being so short sighted and irresponsible with the health of the people of the nation you are suppose to protect. Do some work and find the
source of the problem rather than come up with a quick fix that endangers the life
of people. You are going to add to the already outrageous numbers of people who
are getting cancer everyday.
-There are many alternatives to irradiation. Visit OCA's Irradiation Alternatives
page for more information ROBERT GAUL
***Do not irradiate our food
***Dear gov. I am requesting that you do not use Ionizing Radiation for any human
foods, during production, processing or handling of food. Thank you, June
Steiner, PhD.
***DO NOT allow the irradiation of OUR FOOD?!! WHAT MORON THOUGHT THIS ONE UP??? I am sick sick of these DUMB ideas and essentially POISONING of the water and food supply! If this passes, people get sick, they should individually sue each person who votes for this or sponsors it! It is that hazardous and dangerous of policy! GET A BRAIN PEOPLE! USE IT FOR GOD'S SAKE! KEEP THE FOOD HEALTHY!
***Please keep our foods healthy. How can irradiating food possibly by healthy? We have enough nutrition problems, from artificial sweeteners, and many other additives. We can't possible benefit from irradiating food. Would you feed this to your family? Really?
***You are supposed to be an agency to protect the public's health, however, you are endangering everyones health by irradiating produce. Why don't you use other alternatives and require restaurants, hospitals, etc. to make it known to the public that they are using irradiated vegetables (deadly and most unhealthy).
***I am *NOT* o.k. with irradiated food being served to my children at their schools. Irradiated food should require labeling WHEREVER they are sold or served. Please, let's clean up our industrial feedlots, not try to put a band-aide on our food production woes by allowing more irradiation. Our food supply is bad enough without the additional creation of toxic free radicals, vitamin and nutrient loss, and the formation of carcinogenic chemicals - all inherent outcomes of the process of irradiation. America's health is more important!!!
***Stop poisoning the consumers. that is why this country has so many diseases!! It begins with the food sources.
*** Find a different way: http://www.organicconsumers.org/irradalternatives.cfm
***PLEASE ,DO NOT TAKE AWAY OUR NON -RADIATED FOOD.
***Docket: FDA-1999-F-2405
Use of Ionizing Radiation for the Control of Food-Borne Pathogens and Infectious Protozoa, and Extension of Shelf-Life, in a Variety of Human Foods.
Comment On: FDA-1999-F-2405-0005
Irradiation in the Production, Processing and Handling of Food
Document: FDA-1999-F-2405-1086
Center for Food Safety - [Multiple Comments=6701]
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Submitter Information
Organization: Center for Food Safety
Docket No. FDA-1999-F-2405 Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food
and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
Fax: 301-827-6870
Please find attached 6,701 comments from Center for Food Safety members
objecting to Docket No. FDA-1999-F-2405: Irradiation in the Production,
Processing and Handling of Food, specifically allowing irradiation of fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce. The Center for Food Safety
Attachments
FDA-1999-F-2405-1086.1 Documents Contain Personal Privacy Information - [Center for Food Safety - Multiple Comments=6701-
***The reason we eat large amt's of vegetables is to get the healthy nutrients from them. If they are destroyed by radiation treatment, why should I eat them. I eat salad almost every day, and what this bill proposes to do makes me wonder what the long term fallout of this practice will do to my body and my family's. All that radiation residue. Why all of a sudden after forever is it necessary to do this? What are you trying to do to the food supply? You should really ask yourselves
why.
***Consumer Comments on Food Irradiation
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