Diet & Healthy Eating

[toddao]

The Secretary of Agriculture is up to no good during his last months in office.



Tell him to knock it off!

August 21, 2008

Dear xxxx
Say NO to irradiated meat!


This has been the year of meat recalls. It seems like every time you turn around more ground beef is contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. USDA officials have started to talk about a plan to combat E.Coli by irradiating beef carcasses before they are processed. Tell Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer that you don't want irradiated meat!

With the Bush Administration on the way out, many agencies may take the opportunity to pass as many pro-industry regulations as possible. This USDA plan to irradiate beef carcasses could be the first in a host of bad policies during the last months of the administration.


More reasonable solutions to the E. Coli problem are increasing meat inspections to make sure contamination doesn't happen in the first place, and testing to make sure contaminated meat doesn't leave the plant. However, the beef industry quickly protested when USDA officials recently announced a plan to expand their inspection of E. coli O157:H7.

Irradiation is a band-aid solution for dirty meat, and could be harmful to your health. Food producers need to address the source of the problem - processing lines that are too fast and dirty conditions at plants - not promote an expensive, impractical and ineffective technology like irradiation. Irradiating meat forms chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer and birth defects.


Worst of all, the irradiated carcasses would be further processed, and wouldn't have to be labeled as irradiated, leaving consumers in the dark. Take action now to tell Secretary Schafer that irradiating beef carcasses is not a solution to E. Coli:

http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=25366

Thanks for taking action,

Sarah Alexander
Food & Water Watch
goodfood(at)fwwatch.org


P.S. We're just getting word that FDA is going to add lettuce and spinach to the list of products allowed to be irradiated. Watch for more action on this issue in the coming weeks.



Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.