The opposition says this measure is misleading for customers while the FDA argues that if the food makeup is not changed by being zapped with radiation then people do not need to know. For example, if the taste, texture, smell or shelf life of food is altered it would require a label.
Foods like vegetables, spices, eggs and a small amount of fruits are irradiated. But if the FDA's proposal passes the Department of Agriculture could also adopt similar rules to include meat and poultry in the mix. However, not all food can be irradiates. For instance, diced Roma tomatoes become mushy under radiation.
Pasteurized foods are heated to a certain temperature and then rapidly cooled to kill germs. Irradiation heats the material with lasers.
The irradiation process has gained attention since the recent outbreaks of food-born illnesses in the US.
Because the processes are so similar, the FDA is also proposing to allow some irradiated foods bear pasteurized labels. However, the FDA has yet to prove that radiation works as well as pasteurization.
In the 1980s the FDA implemented the rule that all irradiated foods must be labeled as such after the agency received 5,000 comments from the public on the topic.
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food and Water Watch, said, "This move by FDA would deny consumers clear information about whether they are buying food that has been exposed to high doses of ionizing radiation."
The FDA is also proposing to let some companies petition to use alternative words to "irradiated." However, the report the agency released states, "Research indicates that many consumers regard substitute terms for irradiation to be misleading."
