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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Testimony Re: Bill 276 <br /> Hawaii County Council - August 5, 1998 ~tip~LC <br /> Jenny Wung, R.N. - Friends of Agriculture <br /> <br /> <br /> My name is Jenny Wung. I am a Registered Nurse and retired administrator of <br /> Kona Hospital. I am a member of Friends of Agriculture-Hawaii. <br /> <br /> I speak in support of a proposed irradiator for the Big Island. <br /> <br /> <br /> Our country has evolved to be the magnificent country it is because we are a <br /> caring people and believe in improving the health and environmental status of our <br /> nation. We enjoy our present day status of living because we have always sought <br /> better ways of doing things to enhance our lives through science and technology. <br /> <br /> Food irradiation is one of the most promising technologies for public health <br /> today. Many countries, including our own, have proven that irradiators can be <br /> safely constructed and operated through following proper procedures, <br /> maintenance, monitoring, quality review and control and licensure. Worldwide, <br /> some 37 countries have or will have facilities to irradiate food items on a <br /> commercial scale. <br /> <br /> As a hospital administrator, I am well aware of the stringent requirements <br /> imposed upon the operations of any facility or program. The operations of an <br /> irradiator are governed by extremely stringent federal and professional <br /> organizations for the consumer and the operator. <br /> <br /> It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that food irradiation is one <br /> way to enhance the safety and quality of the food supply. ADA encourages the <br /> government, food manufacturers, food commodity groups, and qualified dietetics <br /> professionals to continue working together in educating consumers about this <br /> technology. <br /> <br /> Although the U.S. food supply has achieved a high level of safety, <br /> microbiological hazards do exist. Because food may contain pathogens, <br /> mishandling, including improper cooking, can result in foodborne illness. It is <br /> estimated that 7,000 to 20,000 Americans are infected by E. coli yearly at a cost <br /> ranging from $174.3 to $467.7 million. Irradiation has been identified as a <br /> solution to reduce potential pathogens and has been recommended as part of a <br /> comprehensive program to enhance food safety. <br /> <br /> Food irradiation has undergone more scientific testing and research--some 40 <br /> years of wholesomeness, toxicological, and microbiological evaluation--than any <br /> other food process before approval. NASA adopted food irradiation in the early <br /> 1970s. 93 <br /> <br /> Ccuem. No. <br /> File N.i. <br /> <br /> Ref, To; Presented Couw a <br /> Rt. Date AUG 5 ts~ - <br />