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<br /> ' February 1997 ~ Environment HawaFi ~ Page 7
<br /> Still, there aze some who insist irradiazion Proponents. Fruits attar have been irradiated
<br /> Safely has no impact or, indeed, may have a positive look bever and have a longer shelf life than
<br /> from page 6 one on the nutritional wntenc of food. The untreated fruits or fruits that aze treaxed by
<br /> mostexvemestatemenxofthisviewisrnadeby othermeans.Irradiation "will extendshelflife
<br /> gre~terincidenceofkidneydiseasethanmice aheA:omicIndusvialForum "In virtually all for most foods at competitive costs."'~ An
<br /> Fed :anirradiated chicken."' Other published cases, food preserved wit. *ae.iacion is nutri- article in Food Technologydaimsitradiation
<br /> studies cited by Public Citizen found kidney tionallyequalorsuperiortothosepreservedby "extends shelf life of the fruit by delaying
<br /> damage and xesticular damage in rats fed other comparable means. Proteins and essen- maturation and inhibitingmold growth on
<br /> irradiated chicken. cialaminoacidsazenotdesvoyedand,income the fruit""
<br /> Diminished Nutrients cases, more vitamins aze retained."'° Opponents. Claims of increased shelf life aze
<br /> Background. Irradiation has been shown to Opponents. "Irradiation reduces levels of notprovenforHawaiianproduce.LyleWong
<br /> reduce the vitamin convent of food. essential nutrients in food, especiallyvicamins ofthesxace DepaamencofAgriculmre, one of
<br /> A, C, E, and the B complex. Cooking irradi- irradiation's chief proponents, has said: "I'm
<br /> Proponents. The International Consultative ared Food reduces these levek still further. The not sure if irradiation as a commodity treao-
<br /> Group on Food Irradiation says, "Just as industry reluctancy admits this but suggests mem will give rise co a bever product""
<br /> vitammsvaryintheirsensitivirytoheat,sodo that the problem mould be taken care of by Irradiarioncancausefruitcobewmescalded
<br /> they vary in their sensitivity to radiation.... vitamin supplements!" write Michael Colby, and unsuitable for mazketing. Indeed, the
<br /> Vitamins A, E, G K, and B-r (thiamine) in director oFFood & Water, Inc., anon-profix scare Department ofAgriculmre has paid to
<br /> foods are relalive]ysensitiverotadiation,while organization established to protect food cover thes7oocostofirradiatngashipmenx
<br /> some other B vitamins such as riboflavin, safety, and Samuel S. Epstein, a professor of inr995wherexheftuixwasofsuchpoorqualiry
<br /> niacin,andvitaminDazemuchmoresrable."" occupational and environmental medicine ax that the wholesaler would not accept it's
<br /> "the American Dietetic Associaxion says, the University of Illinois Medical Center-
<br /> "The relative sensitivity of different vitamins Chicago." : Econottuts
<br /> to irradiation depends on the food source, The extent of nutritional loss vazies with' Background. The chief-and>sofaz,only-
<br /> andthecombinationofirradiationand cook- the type of food and the radiation dose, reason cited forsupponingconstmctionofan
<br /> ing is not considered ro produce losses of writes Susan Meeker-Lowry. "Generally, the irradiation faclliry in Hawaii is xo increase the
<br /> notable concern." In an}' case, steps can be more complex the food, the less it suffers. volume of fruit exported to the mainland
<br /> taken to minimize nutritional losses in the Still, a zo percent to So percent loss is United States.
<br /> irradiation process, including "irradiating not uncommon."" See "Safety'; page 8
<br /> food in an oxygen-free environment or in a
<br /> frozen state.'' (Neither of these proffered ProdtrctQualtxy
<br /> mitigating techniques has been put into rou- Background. Treacmene by irradiation ~S~n Meeker-Lowry, "From Imdiation to Electronic
<br /> Pasteuriradon: Industry Solutiow ro Unsafe Food," Z
<br /> tine pracxice at any irradiation facility in the does not visibly harm the fruit, as, say, treat- Magazine May 1996, p. 37.
<br /> world.) menc by hot-water does.
<br /> ' `AIF. "20 Questions," op.nr.
<br /> I'uhlic Citizen Health Research Group. "The Other "Donald E. Pszoola. "irradiated Produce Reaches
<br /> tii~ie oFthe Food Irradiation 5ron•" (Washington, D.C., "American Dietetic Association, opsia, p. 70. Midwest Market." Foad Terhnalogy(May 1992), p. 90.
<br /> ! `1461, p. 4. i'he paper cites studies conduced by "'AIF, "20 Questions," p. 5. "Statement made at a meeting of the
<br /> state Agribusiness
<br /> RaL am Purina Co. for the L'SDA. "Colby and F.psmin, "Risks oFradiation: Too many Development Corporation, September 8, 1995.
<br /> ' ICGFI Fact Series No. 5, published by the Interns- questions about food safety." USA Today., January 22, "'See Wong's statement ar the ADC meeting oFSep-
<br /> tional Ammic Energy Agenry (Vienna, 1995). 1992. tember 8, 1995.
<br /> Development staff xo come up with projec- endured bever mold to carry signs protesting
<br /> Irradiation tionsasrothevolumeofcropneededtomake Hawai`i's announced inxention to build an
<br /> from Page 6 an irradiation facility economically feasible. irradiation facility.
<br /> Nothing was available for disclosure to Envi- Less than a week later, Governor Ben
<br /> that is thought ro host fruit flies to be irradi- ronmenr Hawaii by press time. Cayetano delivered his stare of the state ad-
<br /> ated at a minimum dose of z5o grays. Past dress to the Legislature. In the listofactivities
<br /> ruleshavebeencommodimspecific-tharis, LareDeve%pmenrs he proposed under the heading;"Encourag-
<br /> thcy have set irradiation doses for individual On January r6, HIEDB sponsored a commu- ing economic diversification," appears the
<br /> types of fruit or food (e.g., papayas). pity forum on irradiation. In an announce- following statement: "To help our farmers
<br /> When askedaboucan}'economicfeasibil- mentoftheeventHIF.DBaskedthaxthosein expos their products ro the mainland and
<br /> iw analysis, Yamashiro said one had been attendance keep an "open mind." without foreign countries, the state and the county of
<br /> done, but whenEnvironmenrHawai'iasked mentioningHlF.D6'searlierendorsementof Hawaii will work rogether to build [and
<br /> to see it, he said it was not complete. He was irradiation. Nor was H[EDB's position on irradiation facilin~ in Hilo."
<br /> Joint;ithimself,hesaid.alongwittistafffrom irradiation make clear at the forum. Of the On January z7 and z9, the House and
<br /> the Planning Department Public Works five invited panelisa,jusrone-KathyDorn Senate, respectively gave firsthearim+urbills
<br /> I)cpartment and the county Department of -was opposed to the idea. callingforconstruction ofa "sari" irradiation
<br /> Research and Development. That same clay, Mayor Yamashiro met facility.
<br /> \ccording to Paula Helfrich. H[EDB is with ofFcen of Isomedix in New Jersey.
<br /> ti~orking closely wide cotmrv Research and Outsidethe lsomedix facility,about Go people
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