Timeline for activities of The European Food Irradiation Campaign.

November 21st - 28th International week against food irradiation

Organize actions to show your disapproval of food irradiation: demonstrations, conferences, public meetings and press conferences will be held throughout Europe. Participate!  

Irradiation campaign meeting in Paris, July the 1st 2005

Strategic meeting of the French Coalition against food irradiation.

On May the 17th, Press Conference at the French National Assembly 

Presentation of a resolution to create a parliamentarian inquiry commission on food irradiation. 

On March the 5th 2005, join the mobilization! 

The mobilization will take place in front of all food irradiation facilities in France! Come and say NO to food irradiation! For more information.

French call against food irradiation

Read the call and visit the website of Action Consommation to sign the petition.

Action Week Against Food Irradiation (21-27.11.2004)
International Anti-Food Irradiation Week 2004! With activities in Europe and the rest of the world.

Irradiation campaign meeting in Paris (28.10.2004)
Campaign meeting with French anti-nuke groups, farmers organizations and other groups.

3rd International meeting of the Food Irradiation campaign (12.11.2003)
Campaign meeting in Brussels.

Danish supermarkets and Irradiated foods (29.03.2003)
A survey by Active Consumers reveals that the Danish supermarket at split 50/50 when asked if they want to sell irradiated food. COOP Denmark - that has a 38% market share of the Danish retail market - is against selling irradiated food. Read survey (PDF format) - [Click here]

SCF in U-turn over safety of irradiated food (06.03.2003)
Europe's most prestigious advisory committee - the Scientific Committee on Food - has reversed its position over the safety of eating irradiated foods. The Food Irradiation Campaign welcomes the SCF statement issued yesterday which explained that the SCF cannot endorse moves to allow the irradiation of all foods above the current maximum irradiation dose limit of 10kGy. It said it could not support this move because not enough research has been done to assess the safety of eating foods irradiated at doses above this level.

European Parliament votes no to more Food Irradiation (17.12.2002)
In at vote on December 17th 2002 The European Parliament's rejected to expand the list of food products that are permitted for irradiation in the European Union. This indicates a growing concern about the safety of food irradiation. The winning amendment, which passed in a 214-182 vote, states that the current list of spices, dried herbs and seasonings should be the only approved food for irradiation.

Among other points, the European Parliament voted in favor of: 
> Better controls of irradiated food; 
> Bore monitoring and enforcement of illegal irradiation; 
> More research into the long-term health impacts of eating a diet of irradiated foods; 
> research into the health and safety implications for workers involved in irradiating food.

The Food Irradiation campaign is very pleased with the Parliaments vote and expects that this will have a major influence on the European Council and the European Commission. 

Bad Taste! Report on the WHOs endorsement of Irradiated Food  (09.10.2002)
The report "Bad Taste - The disturbing truth behind the World Health Organizations endorsement of Irradiated Food" was presented at a press conference in Brussels- Report (PDF format) - [Click here]  

Lobby meeting at European Parliament (11.09.2002)
The Food Commission and Active Consumers organized a lobby information meeting at the European parliament for members of the Parliaments Environmental Committee.   

2nd International meeting of the Food Irradiation campaign (02.10.2002)
Campaign meeting in Brussels.

European Parliament urged to vote against irradiated food (02.09.2002)
Open letter to the European parliament (PDF format) - [Click here]

Lobby at the European Parliament (September-December 2002)
In August-December 2002 the European Parliament responded to a European Commission communication on foods and food ingredients authorized for treatment with ionizing radiation in the Community.  The communication followed the so-called consultative procedure there the parliament must respond to at Commission proposal with is then send the the European Council for response. After which the Commission drafts a new proposal based.  The Food Irradiation Campaign therefore conducted a lobby campaign at the European Parliament in September-December 2002.  

US. Farm Bill's Irradiation Labeling Provisions (14.05.2004)
New U.S. legislation on labeling irradiated food jeopardizes consumers' right to know. Earlier this month a piece of U.S. legislation was passed that could enable food irradiation companies to start using the word 'pasteurization' on irradiated food product labels. Press release from Public Citizen, Active Consumers and The Food Commission - [Click here]

UK supermarkets reject irradiation (01.05.2002)
Public pressure is keeping irradiated foods off supermarket shelves. In February 2002 a survey of the nine major UK supermarkets to find out their policies on irradiated food. All of them replied that their policy was not to stock irradiated products.  Read survey (PDF format) - [Click here]

Illegal irradiated spices found in Denmark (05.03.2002)
A test by Active Consumers and the Danish Consumer Magazine Taenk+Test revealed that illegal irradiated spices was being sold in Denmark. The spices that was sold under the label "Casa Fiesta" was withdrawn from the Danish supermarkets by the producer.

International meeting on Food Irradiation (17.10.2001)
International meeting held in in Brussels. Organised by The Food Commission and Public Citizen. 

Speakers and talks:
> Mearv Shub - The Food Commission, UK
> Martin Frid, Swedish Consumer Coalition
> Wenoah Hauter, Public Citizen, USA

> Account of the speeches including question and discussion session.(PDF format) - [Click here]
> Food Irradiation in Sweden: From a National to a Global Concern (PDF format) - [Click here]


[Page updated 30.06.2005]