REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE
ON CONSUMER AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS


ON THE QUESTION OF

FOOD IRRADIATION AND
THE LABELLING OF IRRADIATED FOODS


MARY COLLINS, M.P., CHAIRPERSON

MAY 1987


[ . . . pour la version française ]


RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. The Standing Committee recommends that the irradiation of food by any form of ionizing energy [ should ] continue to be regulated as a food additive, and be restricted to those foods and doses presently approved by the existing regulations until an in-depth scientific assessment of health implications and further toxicological studies indicate that no significant adverse health effects would be expected to be found by the ingestion of irradiated foods. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is recommended that the irradiation of wheat no longer be permitted until the specific safety questions addressed in other recommendations in this report are resolved.

  2. The Standing Committee recommends that the Minister of National Health and Welfare, in consultation with other interested federal government departments and agencies, and representatives of consumer groups, strike a consultative panel to be composed of theoretical and analytical physicists chemists, nutritionists, toxicologists and consumer group representatives to conduct an in-depth, integrated analysis to provide further insight into potential biochemical and physiological problems that might arise from irradiating various foods at varying doses. The information obtained from this analysis should be used to provide the basis for developing protocols for tests to determine, more fully, the wholesomeness of irradiated foods.

  3. The Standing Committee recommends that baseline studies as suggested by the consultative panel, be conducted with funding from the Federal Government. Emphasis should be placed on conducting tests on wheat and chicken as recommended elsewhere in this report. Funding for the toxicological tests required to support an application to irradiate specific foods is to be the responsibility of the applicant.

  4. The Standing Committee recommends that the consultative panel act as an advisory body to the Minister of National Health and Welfare regarding applications for approval to irradiate foods.

  5. The Standing Committee recommends that further feeding studies (not on humans) be conducted to determine if the effects from eating irradiated wheat as indicated by earlier studies do in fact occur.

  6. The Standing Committee recommends that if increased polyploidy or other toxic responses are further shown to result from ingesting irradiated wheat, then similar studies should be conducted on other grains which might be candidates for irradiation. If there is an adverse effect and it is dependent on the period of time between irradiating and ingestion, then this relationship should be established.

  7. The Standing Committee recommends that the consultative panel (see Recommendation 2) select researchers and/or research institutes to conduct studies to determine the life of free radicals in various foods that may be irradiated (e.g. dried and hardened spices, wheat and other grains).

  8. The Standing Committee recommends an investigation be conducted into the products that may be produced by irradiating pesticide residues. Such an examination should include irradiating the more widely applied classes of pesticides in isolated conditions and on fruits and vegetables.

  9. If the control of food irradiation is to proceed on the basis of establishing a maximum overall average absorbed dose below which no toxicological testing is required, the Standing Committee recommends that the maximum overall absorbed average dose should be restricted to 1 kGy except for specifically approved situations. This level would reduce the health threat of pathogenic and toxin-producing bacteria such as C. botulinum .

  10. The Standing Committee recommends that methods more cost-effective that irradiation be pursued to contend with the Salmonella  problem in Canada. This should include the establishment of a comprehensive public education program to promote proper and safe handling techniques for poultry. This program should be jointly formulated and funded by the Government and the poultry industry. As well, further studies on the wholesomeness of irradiated chicken should be conducted as indicated in Recommendation 3.

  11. The Standing Committee recommends that the Department of Agriculture in concert with academic microbiologists, and the consultative panel (Recommendation 2) investigate the production of aflatoxins after irradiation. Experiments should attempt to ascertain which fungal species (if any) increase production after irradiation and if mutant strains are produced as is suggested in the scientific literature. In the first instance, studies should be conducted using methods similar to the original aflatoxin studies and then further studies should be conducted under natural conditions where competitor organisms would be present.

  12. The Standing Committee recommends that investigations be conducted on the effect of irradiation on the nutritional degradation of the foods for which irradiation is presently permitted. Investigations into the nutritional degradation of other foods should also be conducted before they are approved for irradiation.

  13. The Standing Committee recommends that in addition to other toxicological tests that need be conducted, emphasis should be placed on tests to examine the long-term chronic effects (if any) of ingesting irradiated foods.

  14. The Standing Committee recommends that all irradiated foods, both domestically produced and imported, be fully labelled as outlined in recommendations 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 regardless of whether food irradiation continues to be classified as a food additive as recommended by this Standing Committee, or as a food process.

  15. The Standing Committee recommends that all prepackaged irradiated foods shall bear the following symbol, along with the word "irradiated".

  16. The Standing Committee recommends that efforts be made to establish a uniform method of labelling irradiated foods on an international level.

  17. The Standing Committee recommends that the symbol and the wording be positioned on the principal display panel of all prepackaged irradiated foods in a minimum size of 4.8 millimeters ( 3/16 inch ) , but otherwise in accordance with the size prescribed by the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations (section 14).

  18. The Standing Committee recommends that the symbol and the wording be the same colour as that of the other ingredient labelling which appears on a prepackaged product that contains irradiated food.

  19. The Standing Committee recommends that all irradiated ingredients be labelled in a clear and readily visible manner as set out in Appendix VI of this report. This recommended form of labelling is to be positioned on the principal display panel of all prepackaged products as set out in recommendation 17. The colour shall be as prescribed in recommendation 18.

  20. The Standing Committee recommends that irradiated foods sold from bulk containers at the retail level display the recommended symbol and wording on a poster, card, counter sign or other method of display on or immediately adjacent to the food in a conspicuous and prominent manner. The symbol and wording, shall be at least two-thirds the size of the print or other symbol displaying the product name on the poster, card, counter sign or other method of display and shall be no smaller than 17.5 mm ( 11/16 of an inch ) . All bulk irradiated foods must be labelled accordingly regardless of whether the product name is displayed. The symbol and wording shall be displayed in a colour which contrasts with the background colour of the poster, card, counter sign or other method of display.

  21. The Standing Committee recommends that the reirradiation of foods not be permitted. The Standing Committee further recommends that the label and invoices or bills of lading of all irradiated foods bear the symbol prescribed in Recommendation 15 and the statement "Irradiated -- do not irradiate again".

  22. The Standing Committee recommends that emphasis be placed on providing clear unbiased information on food irradiation to the public. Information pamphlets on food irradiation should be made available to consumers by the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs through its regional offices.

    If irradiated foods become available for consumption in Canada, the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs should be responsible for coordinating the development of a public information program about food irradiation. Financing for the program should be jointly shared by the Department and producers, manufacturers, and processors involved with food irradiation.

  23. The Standing Committee recommends that if food irradiation is to proceed on a wider scale, theoretical and analytical studies should be performed to determine whether X-rays capable of inducing radioactivity are produced when food is irradiated in packaging materials lined in foil. If so, proper precautions should be taken to ensure that foods with induced radioactivity are not presented for consumption.

  24. The Standing Committee recommends that the sensitive crystallization test for identifying irradiated fruits and vegetables be further investigated.

  25. The Standing Committee recommends that research be conducted by Agriculture Canada to develop tests which will identify irradiated foods and the radiation dose used.

  26. The Standing Committee recommends that emphasis be placed on encouraging countries to adopt uniform standards respecting dosimeters and their placement in each lot of food.

  27. The Standing Committee recommends that once uniform international standards for irradiated foods have been implemented, an international inspection system be developed to ensure that irradiated foods comply with such standards.

  28. The Standing Committee recommends that AECL take all necessary steps to emphasize the regeneration of spent cobalt-60 to reduce levels of radioactive waste materials.

  29. The Standing Committee recommends that special emphasis be placed on investigating the effect of irradiation on the nutritional value of foods which constitute a large portion of a diet.

  30. The Standing Committee recommends that in the event that the regulations controlling food irradiation are amended, irradiation should continue to be classified as a food additive and be governed by all the controls and requirements for testing food additives. As well, because of the many unique qualities that may be imparted by irradiation, toxicological testing should be required for each food at the dosage at which it is proposed to be treated if above the 1 kGy level as outlined in Recommendation 9.

  31. The Standing Committee recommends that if food irradiation is classified as a process rather than as a food additive, regulations be drafted that would require controls and toxicological testing as stringent as would be required for food additives.

  32. The Standing Committee recommends that immediately upon the expiration of the two year period during which manufacturers and importers are required to retain records in accordance with Section B. 27.005 of the proposed food irradiation regulations, such manufacturers and importers be required to present those records to the Health Protection Branch for retention by the Branch for a further period of twenty years.

  33. The Standing Committee recommends, that if the regulations respecting food irradiation are changed, the following amendments be made to the proposed regulations:

    1. In subsection B.27.004.(c) more specific locations for the placement of dosimeters in each lot of food should be required and some minimum standards declared.

    2. In subsection B.27.004(f) recommended processing conditions during irradiation should be specified.

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