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~ ~.pi,Gaa-~ . ?~Q ~~2-c~~ 7~,,~_ n H I CA HAWAII ISLAND CONTRACTORS' ASSOC~ ATION 494 C KALANIKOA STREET • HILO, HAWAII 96720 PHONE (808) 935-1316 FAX (808) 934-7779 Tuesday, May 20, 1997 Honorable Chair and Committee Members It is the position of The Hawaii Island Contractors' Association that food irradiation is the one singularly important way to enhance the safety and quality of the food supply, and to open access to a lucrative U.S. mainland consumer market For Hawaii Island's farmers.. Although food irradiation has been proven to safely and economically reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses and dramatically extend the shelf life of many products--without the need for refrigeration-- there are still some people who do not understand or accept the value of irradiation technology. I have included in my testimony Ten Most Commonly Asked Questions About Food Irradiation a fact sheet By Dr. Charlotte P. Brennand, Ph.D; Extension Food Safety Specialist written in March 1995 answering the ten most frequently asked questions about this important post harvest treatment: 1. Why is food irradiated? Food is irradiated to provide the same benefits as when it is processed by heat, refrigeration, freezing or treated with chemicals to destroy insects, fungi or bacterial that cause food to spoil or cause human disease and to make it possible to keep food longer and in better condition in warehouses and homes. Because irradiation destroys disease-causing bacteria and reduces the incidence of food borne illness, hospitals sometimes use irradiation to sterilize food for immuno-compromised patients. 2. Are irradiated foods still nutritious? Yes. Irradiated foods are wholesome and nutritious. All known methods of food processing and even storing food at room temperature for a few hours after harvesting can lower the content of some nutrients, such as vitamins. At low doses of ' 212.433 ~ n~ FND Glp ;ta[. Yb1 Pr~asenfed n 1!let. D~1e MAY~2 0 1997