A Hunt for a Friendly Little Green Label I've Never Noticed Before

Have you seen this symbol? I honestly don't think I've ever laid eyes on it before, or if I have, I haven't noticed it. It's a pretty little thing, isn't it? Not at all threatening or concerning.

Well, guess what? This is the symbol that is required on any food that has been irradiated. And did you know that the following foods are approved for irradiation?

* Wheat flour (since 1963)
* White potatoes (since 1964)
* Spices, herbs, herb teas, pork, fruits and vegetables (since 1986)
* Poultry (since 1992)
* Beef (since 1997)
* Refrigerated or frozen raw beef, pork, lamb and poultry (since 1999)
* Eggs in the shell, seeds for sprouting (since 2000)
* Imported fruits and vegetables (since 2002)
* Meat purchased by the National School Lunch Program (since 2002)
* Lettuce and spinach (since last week)

I may have not seen this symbol, or the required words "treated with radiation" or "treated with irradiation" (which need to be only as large as the smallest words on the label) because, according the Organic Consumers Association:

* The labeling is only required by the first purchaser (who is usually not the consumer)

* The label is not required on products with multiple ingredients when all of them have not been irradiated

* The label is not required when irradiated foods ingredients are in foods served by restaurants, salad bars, hotels, airlines, hostpitals, schools, nursing homes, delis, and supermarket take-outs

* The label is not required on spices and herb teas

* The label is not required on sprouts grown from irradiated seeds or ingredients in supplements

* Irradiated foods (as well as genetically-modified organisms, by the way) are currently NOT ALLOWED in any product that is labeled USDA Certified Organic. This is an important rule for consumers to pressure the USDA to keep, since it is our only way to ensure we are not eating irradiated food when we choose food beyond our gardens and local farmers.

If the FDA has its way, any irradiated food that still requires being labeled will be able to say "pasteurized" instead of "treated with radiation." What's more, the FDA has proposed eliminating labeling on many irradiated foods completely.

Internationally, radiated foods fall under the rules of Codex, which has stronger wording and requirements than the United States (no surprise there). In the European community, irradiated foods have to be labeled by the appropriate phrases in the respective languages whenever an irradiated ingredient is included. Restaurant foods must be labeled as well.

Every time we have one of our tainted food sagas (which is quite often), you see mention of talk about irradiation, usually with the inclusion that "consumers have overwhelming stated they will not purchase irradiated food." Well, guess what? You most likely already do.

And so, now, I'm on a hunt, a hunt for a friendly little green label I've never noticed before. And I am more committed than even yesterday to push for transparant labeling so consumers can make informed decisions, and to openly reject any food whose path-to-market contains the possibility of practices which I do not support.