National Environmental
Health Association Position on
Responsible Irradiation of Foods
Adopted July 1999
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Whereas:
- foodborne illnesses, both nationally and internationally, continue to constitute a major preventable public health problem;
- foodborne illnesses also create serious economic problems;
- irradiation of a wide range of food and food products will significantly decrease the foodborne illness problem throughout the United States and the world;
- irradiation of certain foods is currently practiced in some 40 countries;
- irradiation of certain foods has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as well as by scores of national and international scientific and professional groups;
- years of research have proven the efficacy and safety of the food irradiation process;
- irradiation also enhances the keeping quality and shelf life of a wide range of food and food products;
- the improved national and international availability of numerous foods will enhance nutritional status of the public;
- the majority of consumers already support the need for irradiated food and food products; and
- pilot projects indicate that most individuals who are not aware of the public health advantages of irradiated food will support irradiation when provided with the necessary information;
Therefore, be it resolved that:
- the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) strongly supports food irradiation with appropriate disposal of the radiation source;
- FDA and USDA should be encouraged to expand food irradiation approval to include processed meat and poultry products; and
- NEHA encourages state and local public health officials publicly to support the expansion of the food irradiation process on a national and international level.
In furtherance of the objective supported by this resolution, this statement will be addressed to appropriate committee chairs of the U.S. Congress; appropriate officials of FDA and USDA; appropriate peer professional and scientific organizations such as the Environmental Council of the States; the Association of Food and Drug Officials of the United States; the Association of State Agricultural Officials; the American Medical Association; the American Public Health Association; the International Association of Milk, Food, and Environmental Sanitarians; Underwriters Laboratories; state food and consumer protection supervisors; the National Association of County and City Health Officials; the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; and others as appropriate, including the news media.
