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The recent cases of food poisonings to the bacterium Listeria monocycle brings back to the first plan the idea to turn toward the irradiation of food to warn the apparition of it. But this technology is she securities? What is his effect on food and, ultimately, on the health of the consumers?

The irradiation of food in Canada

To Canada, the irradiation of food is governed by several organisms, of which Health Canada and the Canadian agency of inspection of food (ACIA)1-2.

Since the years 1960, Health Canada permits the irradiation of the potatoes and onions, essentially to slow down once their germination picked. In 1984, this authorization has been spread to wheat, to flour, to the dehydrated foods and to the spices, to treat them against the ominous bacteria and the bugs.

More…

Done beef, chicken and shrimps radiate? After four years of analysis, Canada would be about to permit the irradiation of beef chopped, poultry, the shrimps and the mango.

Nevertheless, few Canadian producers have resort to the irradiation. first, little irradiators exist in Canada. about ten in Ontario and one only to Quebec. and they especially serve the pharmaceutical industry. Then, the obligation to affix a logo on the radiated products. him ” radura” – brakes more of a that fear of them that the consumers sulk their products.

” The consumers are afraid of this technology, because they associate it to the nuclear radiations, or to the cancer”, underline Linda Saucier, professor and searcher in the Department of the animal sciences of the Laval university.

Yet, we coast the radiated every day products: lotions for glasses of contact, hygienic napkins, layers for children, bandaging’s and gauzes, surgical tools, packing’s for food, painting for children, bone for canine food, etc.

Securities and useful, according to the authorities

” The irradiation of food is securities and without danger for health, and doesn’t have that me that say it”, assure Monique Lacroix, a specialist of the irradiation working in this domain to the national institute of scientific research (INRS Armand-Frappier) and in the center of irradiation of Canada since 1987.

In fact, the organization of the United Nations for the food and agriculture (FAO), the world organization of Health (WHO), as well as several countries in the world, recognize the irradiation as means securities and efficient to reduce. or even to eliminate – the presence of pathogenic so-called organisms, susceptible to threaten the health of the populations.

” The scientific committees of these organizations valued the irradiation and they concluded that the technology didn’t lead any toxicity to food and that it had to be recognized like a physical treatment, as the pasteurization to the heat”, specify Monique Lacroix.

Since, the United States permit the irradiation many types of food, of which meats, while Brazil spread this authorization to the set of victuals produced on his territory.

If these countries are more permissive than Canada, the European union (EU) doesn’t allow on this day that the irradiation of the aromatic herbs, the spices and vegetables dehydrated. But every State member can deliver his own permits. So that France allows the irradiation of good number of food, of which the dried fruits, the legumes to grains, the shrimps, poultry and the products of oeufs2.

Main functions of the irradiation

to eliminate germination (potatoes, let’s anoint, garlic) to reduce the microbial load of food; to warn their deterioration by the pathogenic micro-organisms, the bugs and the parasites; to increase their length of conservation while slowing down their maturation.

Besides, the irradiation would answer the requirements of the rhythm of life of the consumers: ” We are very demanding towards the producers, of whom we require cool, natural products, and the less transformed possible, but for most, we don’t go to the grocery store that once per week… It is necessary to be realistic! “, indicate Linda Saucier.

According to her, the irradiation entails minor chemical modifications, similar to that that a sudden food in a microwave oven. And according to Health Canada, most consumers cannot discover the differences on the aspect, the odor or the taste of the food.

Of the flats

Such is not the opinion of the union of the consumers (UC). In a rapport3 emitted in 2006, the Quebecois organism judges that the irradiation of food ” generate a loss of the nutritional quality of food”, of which the loss of vitamins TO, B, C and E. An argument that Monique Lacroix that affirms refutes however that to the opposite the irradiation encourages the synthesis of vitamins.

Blaming to the FAO and the WHO for having omitted to consider different studies raising some risks for health, the UC asks the Canadian government of ” to put in application the principle of precaution” and to order them ” independent studies.”

Underlining that ” some studies demonstrated that the irradiation [...] causes the colon cancer among the rats”, the report reproaches especially as it is ” impossible to control the trade of food radiated if they are not labeled in accordance with the law.”

However, only the ingredients radiated constituent more than 10% of the final food must be declared like having been radiated, writes the UC. besides, she sustains that the ACIA doesn’t drive a systematic inspection and that it is therefore difficult to him to exercise a strict control with regard to the labeling of the products radiated.

” Without adequate labeling, he is impossible for the consumer to know if a food or an ingredient has been radiated”, raise the UC.

Not a solution miracle

Although the irradiation can reduce the cases of food toxi-infections, it doesn’t constitute a panacea.

” The treatment by irradiation doesn’t guarantee the healthiness of food. But she contributes to decrease the number of bacteria and other micro-organisms that can be in the food products”, specify the ACIA on his Internet2 site.

Besides, the respect of the hygiene rules is the business of all, warns Linda Saucier. ” The quality, it is like a chain. And at the end of the chain, there is the consumer who cannot back out of the norms of hygiene: we are all implied. ”

In this regard, she underlines that the Canadian Partnership for the healthiness of food constitutes a good reference for the consumers.

But Monique Lacroix insists: ” More or less all chickens are contaminated to the salmonella, so that if one takes the same knife to cut the chicken, then the vegetables, the risks of contamination are raised very. But the reduction of pathogenic to the basis, by the irradiation, would permit to reduce the cases”, she adds.

In a work that she published, Mrs. written Lacroix besides that ” according to the Control unit and prevention of the illnesses, the application of the irradiation for meat, the chicken and the butcher’s shops could reduce 25% the rate of food illnesses and mortality

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