- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The
U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday consumer advocates and industry
groups must submit by April 11 their comments on how to introduce irradiated
meat into the national school lunch program.
-
- Irradiation, which has been endorsed by the World Health
Organization, exposes food to low doses of electrons or gamma rays to destroy
deadly microorganisms such as E. coli O157:H7 and salmonella. It causes
chemical changes but does not leave food radioactive.
-
- Congress last year required the USDA to allow government-approved
food safety technologies such as irradiation to be used in commodities
purchased by the federal school lunch program.
-
- Some 27 million school children receive free or low-cost
meals daily in the program, which currently prohibits irradiated meat.
-
- USDA officials had hoped to implement the measure by
the end of last year, but it has since been delayed.
-
- Since the USDA invited public input in November, thousands
of parents have submitted comments criticizing the proposal to allow irradiated
meat. They claim their children will be used as "guinea pigs,"
saying not enough research has been conducted on irradiation to assure
its safety.
-
- Meat industry officials have dismissed the letters, saying
they were organized by Washington-based Public Citizen and do not represent
overall public opinion.
-
- Seeking a compromise, some industry groups have recommended
that USDA implement pilot programs to introduce irradiated meat gradually
to school cafeterias.
-
-
- Copyright © 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable
for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance
thereon.
|
