After the largest recall of beef products in Canadian history led to an E. coli outbreak in 2012, the federal government is considering new measures to make ground beef in Canada safer.
On Thursday, Health Canada announced the launch of public consultation on a proposal that would allow irradiation of fresh and frozen ground beef after a thorough safety review found that the meat treated with irradiation is safe to eat and retains its nutritional value, taste and texture.
"This can have several benefits to food safety, including reducing the level of bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter," Karen McIntyre, Health Canada director general told reporters at an Ottawa press conference. "It can also prevent premature spoilage and increase a food’s shelf life."
Food irradiation is a process in which food is exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation before the meat is cooked. According to the Canadian Meat Council, the energy waves affect unwanted organisms, but are not retained in the food and the food does not become radioactive. The radiant energy disappears when the energy source is removed, with an end result similar to cooking it in the microwave.
Recommended by federal advisory panel
In 2012, XL Foods Inc. was forced to recall nearly 2 million kilograms of tainted beef in Canada and the U.S. — spawning a class-action lawsuit over E. coli cases that ended in a $4-million settlement. The case has since been reviewed by a federally-appointed Independent Expert Advisory Panel, which recommended permitting irradiation as an effective food safety intervention.
Health Canada recognized that the word 'radiation' tends to generate a negative reaction from consumers worried about food safety, but after a number of "highly-visible" outbreaks of food-related pathogens, the department said it has reason to believe buyers may be more open-minded.
"We've done some public opinion research and from what we can see... the public opinion may have shifted," explained Barbara Lee, director of the Bureau of Chemical Safety at Health Canada. "Radiation is just one of the tools we're proposing that can be used by the industry to manage food-borne outbreak issues. It's mean to compliment, not replace, existing food safety practices, such as appropriate handling and safety of storage."
Already used in Canadian foodstuffs
Food irradiation is already permitted in more than 60 countries around the world, and the World Health Organization has recognized the practice as "a technique for preserving and improving the safety of food" by reducing disease-causing organisms in food, while preserving its nutritional qualities. It is already in use in Canada, to treat potatoes, onions, wheat, flour, spices and seasoning preparations. Irradiation has also been used as a sterilization technique for medical supplies, food packaging materials and cosmetic ingredients for many years.
Should the recommendation to permit irradiation for ground beef proceed, Health Canada said that all irradiated products will be clearly labeled on their packaging. In cases of fresh food without packaging, labels will be placed immediately next to the product at point of sale.
Canadians will be consulted on the proposed regulatory changes that would permit the new practices for a 75 day consultation period, ending on Sept. 1, 2016. The proposal will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on June 18, 2016.
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Decades ago it was found that
Decades ago it was found that any exposure to ionizing radiation carry some risk. Originally, the safety standards that were set for exposure were based on what companies could afford. Acceptable exposure has been lowered over the decades.
Some of the claims in this article are quite unbelievable. The first is that no hint of radiation remains in the product being exposed to the radiation. This seems highly unlikely and it is not clear whether or not the so-called studies by Health Canada have been subjected to independent peer review.
A second claim that is made is that the meat will be labelled as having been exposed to radiation. Who is going to enforce that? It seems unlikely that labelling will be consistent. The article also says that some products are already irradiated and it mentions potatoes. I don’t think these are labelled or if they are, would think to look for that in the small print?
In short, I question the credibility of studies endorsed by Health Canada Health (Canada’s healthy eating table has been considerably influenced by various food lobby groups). I also question whether or not identification of the irradiated products forced with any vigour. Again, this is an issue of where information should be available for consumers to make an informed choice. It is possible that the elimination of things like E. Coli is worth the risk associated with radiation. However, consumers should be informed so that they can make their own choice.
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