(December 10, 1999) In March this year, the long-debated EU directive on food irradiation became effective. This would liberalize the irradiation of dried herbs and spices, and of course their sale and use throughout the EU. National legislations will have to be adapted, according to this directive, before autumn 2000.
(522.5122) PLAGE - While a majority of European Union countries, especially the Netherlands, Britain and France, have been practising conservation through irradiation for a range of foods for over one or two decades already, in a minority of EU member states (Germany, Austria, Luxemburg), food irradiation had not been allowed so far. The March 1999 EU directive for the first time liberalizes the irradiation of dried herbs and spices, and of course their sale and use throughout the European Union.
This is a deliberately modest beginning. For other foods are to be added on to the EU Commission's "positive list" in the future: While spices and herbs are not as insignificant as they might seem (you get them in every pizza and in most sausages and instant dishes), tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, fruits and poultry are definitely substantial foods that are the next "candidates" for irradiation.
The action:
Facing up to this development, the Salzburg Plattform gegen Atomgefahren (PLAGE) suggests that groups elsewhere take the same or similar action it has carried out in its local area. The action is very simple and needs very little money and time.
- In the local telephone directory, PLAGE looked up the biggest foodstores and food retailers (about a dozen, including a biological food firm).
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A letter was sent to them, referring to the EU directive and asking four questions:
- Does your firm import or sell irradiated herbs and spices, and/or foods flavored with such herbs and spices?
- Does your firm import or sell other foods which have been legally irradiated according to the national legislation of the exporting countries (regardless of whether within or outside the EU)?
- If you don't, how do you make sure that such products are not foisted upon you, in particular when in violation of the EU directive they are not declared as irradiated? Does your firm commission examination of random samples in order to ascertain whether raw or processed foods that you import were treated with ionizing radiation or not?
- Does your firm plan to keep its range of goods free from irradiated products in the future or not, in particular if the EU list of foods admitted for irradiation should be extended?
We will of course faithfully report your position to the general public.
The result:
In the first round, three out of 12 firms replied, taking a rather skeptical point of view toward food irradiation. PLAGE then launched a second round about three months after the first letter; addresses were told of course that several of their competitors had replied and intended to keep a distance toward irradiated food. In a third round, PLAGE announced a press conference to present the results of the poll conducted within the business and invited all 12 original addressees to send a representative to the meeting with the press. So six out of a dozen finally answered. And one important food chain (SPAR) did send a representative indeed, which was quite an enrichment to the press conference panel. Several local papers and radio stations reported the PLAGE poll.
The follow-up:
To some degree, the firms' position (all irradiation-skeptical) will bind them in the future. It will be all the more difficult for them to commercialize irradiated food in their stores. But PLAGE intends to drive the nail home a bit deeper still. It has proposed within its umbrella organization, Anti Atom International (Vienna), that other regional groups take analogous action in their area. The biggest AAI regional member has already started to do just that. And AAI-Vienna will indeed play it again on a nationwide media level once the regional rounds are finished. PLAGE will, in a fourth step, announce to the food traders that kept silent that their response will still be welcomed but that PLAGE will demonstrate and distribute information in front of their stores if they continue to fail to take a position.
Analogous action elsewhere:
PLAGE suggests that anti-nuclear organizations elsewhere in the EU "apply" the action principle to their country or region. Preferably, it should always be built up from the bottom. Don't hesitate to ask PLAGE for further details.
Source and contact: Plattform gegen Atomgefahren (PLAGE), Arenbergstr. 10, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.
Tel: +43-662-643 567; Fax: +43-662-643 7344
E-mail: plage@salzburg.co.at