Foods from the conventional (non-organic) farming sector may go through a process called food irradiation. For example, in my home country of New Zealand, imported herbs, spices, herbal teas, tomatoes, capsicums, and tropical fruit are among the foods that may have been irradiated.
But the process can be applied anywhere in the world. Alison White, convenor of the Safe Food Campaign, explains that food that is irradiated gets exposed to gamma rays, or a high energy electron beam, or x-rays.
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Why is food irradiated?
There are a few reasons that your food may have been irradiated.
- To disrupt the development of any insects that may be concealed within the fresh produce
- As an effective and cost-efficient alternative to commonly used toxic insecticides
- Extended shelf life via delayed ripening
- To help lower the incidence of foodborne illnesses
The above reasons for food irradiation all sound like great ones. But are the potentially harmful consequences being downplayed?
The possible dangers of food irradiation
The scientific community is still asking questions about nutrient loss, free radical production, and changes to the antioxidant properties of irradiated foods. These range from links to cancer and immune system disorders to reproductive problems and nutritional deficiencies.
Will this be yet another case of ‘innocent until proven guilty’? It seems to happen all too often in the world of conventional farming. DDT, a commonly used pesticide of the past with strong links to the polio virus, was removed AFTER the risks were realized. Similarly, in today’s world, we are questioning the use of glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in the widely used herbicide, Roundup.
Ways to avoid food irradiation
Whether it is proven to be safe or not, consumers should have a right to know whether their food has been irradiated. This enables you to tread with caution if you wish to. There are a few things you can do in New Zealand to avoid irradiated food.
- Purchase certified organic food. Are organic foods irradiated? No, they are not. Organic standards do not allow food irradiation
- Buy local produce because New Zealand does not have any irradiation plants.
- Ask your favorite brands whether they have an irradiation-free policy, and then choose accordingly. Even if the spices and teas you are using were made in New Zealand, they could be using imported ingredients that have been irradiated.
Where to get organic products
IHerb is a great ‘go-to’ online health shop for certified organic and natural products, and they deliver all over the world.
They stock a massive range of groceries, household items, and personal care products. Not all the products are organic, but each item is clearly labeled with all information and ingredients. Therefore it is easy to find organic if that is what you are looking for. Try typing ‘certified organic’ into the search box, or search by brands that you know are certified organic. You can also read more about what I think of iherb in this comprehensive review post.
Read more about the advantages of organic farming
Monsanto Roundup may be the best weed killer, but what is it doing to your health?
Soil and health – the basis for Organics
It’s more sustainable, and it costs less!
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I had NO idea this happened. I usually purchase organic or locally grown foods but I had no idea this was a process conventionally grown food underwent.
Yes, there’s a lot that seems to go under the radar in the food industry. I learned about this when we owned an organic delivery service. I’m not sure about what foods may have been irradiated in other countries. I know that NZ has no irradiation plants, so any locally produced food won’t have been irradiated (although it’s possible that if they use imported ingredients, that the individual ingredients could have been). For other countries you would need to do a bit of investigation to find out what sort of foods and brands might be using irradiation. I did a bit of investigation into common herbal tea brands in NZ, and I asked them directly whether they had an irradiation free policy. Some did, but I was surprised to see that one of the main brands, even with the word ‘health’ in their title did not. I must see if I can find the document I put together when I was investigating, and I’ll see if I can link it to this post:)