Public Citizen, the US consumer advocacy organisation, has said that it is extremely disappointed that the Bush administration has decided to approve a rule that will permit the import of irradiated fruits and vegetables.
The rule, which was issued by the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and took effect yesterday, will benefit large food producers, processors and distributors at the expense of small farmers, the organisation claims.
The organisation is also concerned that the ruling will encourage the proliferation of irradiated food, which it says has not yet been proven safe for human consumption in the long term.
Furthermore, Public Citizen said that with the adoption of this rule, APHIS, a branch of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), is continuing its transformation from an agency that was created to protect American agriculture and consumers from foreign pests and diseases into an agency that promotes trade.
"We, along with thousands of other consumers, opposed these regulations from the time they were originally proposed during the Clinton administration because of their effects on food, farmers and health," said a Public Citizen spokesman. "Until the irradiation of food is shown to be safe, this technology should not be used to 'treat' imported fruits and vegetables or any other food, for that matter. APHIS acknowledged receiving thousands of comments from citizens who raised safety concerns, but the agency apparently chose to ignore them."
The organisation opposes the implementation of the new irradiation rulings on a number of grounds. Firstly, it believes that APHIS does not have sufficient staffing levels to ensure the new regulations are carried properly enforced. Secondly, it also questions the ability to enforce inspection of overseas irradiation facilities. Thirdly, the degradation of the foods' nutritional contents when it undergoes irradiation. And, finally, that the process of irradiation does not eliminate the threat of invasive pests.
Public Citizen also aired concerns about the threat of foreign imports to small-scale farmers, who are already suffering the fallout of free trade. The organisation believes that it will be the multinational companies who will most benefit from the ruling.