Food producers who irradiate their products can request federal approval to avoid the word ‘irradiation’ on packaging.

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued guidelines describing the procedure by which companies can ask to use more neutral language on the packaging of irradiated food, reports Reuters. Food companies wishing to amend their labelling must provide consumer research that shows shoppers will understand the proposed label.


Irradiation exposes food to safe doses of electrons or gamma rays in order to destroy bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli. The US has approved the use of irradiation on raw poultry and beef, along with spices and dried seasonings. While irradiated food is considered safer, resistance to the technology remains strong in some quarters. Environmental activists have expressed concern that the treatment may have harmful side effects on consumers.


Irradiated foods must currently bear the words ‘treated with irradiation’ or ‘treated by radiation’ and bear a special symbol. In the future, companies will be able to seek approval to use words such as ‘cold pasteurisation’ instead of irradiation, the FDA said yesterday [Tuesday].


Advocates of irradiation as a means of providing safer food fear the symbol has become negatively loaded and is interpreted by some consumers as a warning sign. Meanwhile, opponents of irradiation say the industry is trying to conceal its use of irradiation.

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The US Farm Bill which came into force in May this year stipulated that the FDA consider relaxing its labelling regulations.