Despite growing public dissent, the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July weakened international food irradiation rules to allow any food to be irradiated at any dose, regardless of how high.
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The decision was made over the objections of more than 10 countries, including Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Spain. The Codex Commission, which operates under the auspices of the United Nations and World Health Organization, sets food safety standards on behalf of 168 nations.
This decision ignores well-documented evidence that irradiation can destroy vitamins and form chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects. Both the UN and WHO are mandated to protect the health and welfare of the world's population, but have shirked this responsibility with this decision.
Codex standards are enforceable through the World Trade Organization, meaning that member nations with laws stricter than the new Codex standard could have their laws challenged and overruled.
Currently, only Brazil has a food irradiation law in line with the new Codex standard, meaning that laws in every other nation are now in jeopardy.
Food Irradiation Alert! is a publication of Public Citizen
source: http://www.citizen.org/documents/foodalertjuly03.pdf
26jul03
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