Dear Chairman Kelley:

On behalf of the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA), I am writing to express our opposition to Senate File 1450, which would require Minnesota school boards to unnecessarily adopt and implement a policy on the purchase and use of irradiated foods in schools. The measure is scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, April 5.

GMA is the world’s largest association of food, beverage, and consumer product companies. Led by a board of 46 Chief Executive Officers, GMA applies legal, scientific, and political expertise from its more than 140 member companies to vital public policy issues affecting its membership. With U.S. sales of more than $500 billion, GMA members employ more than 2.5 million workers in all 50 states, with over 90 facilities employing more than 23,900 workers in Minnesota.

GMA and its member companies support the use of irradiation as a useful tool for improving food safety. Food irradiation is the process of treating meats and other food with radiant energy to eliminate or adequately reduce harmful pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli 0157:H7, Campylobacter, and Salmonella. The process can also control insects and parasites, reduce spoilage bacteria and inhibit ripening and sprouting of certain foods.

Before the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the irradiation of a food, the agency thoroughly evaluates the food treated with irradiation, specifically, its radiological safety, toxicological safety, microbiological safety, and nutritional adequacy. Worldwide, after such evaluations, the U.S. and 37 other countries have approved food irradiation for use on more than 40 food products. These approvals have specific requirements regarding the sources of radiation, the amounts of radiation applied, the design of the radiation facilities, operator training, recordkeeping, and the labeling of the irradiated foods. Radiation has been used to treat foods for over 40 years in the U.S., with no demonstrated adverse health effects from long-term use. FDA approved irradiation for beef, pork, and lamb on December 2, 1997, after reviewing hundreds of studies on the effects of food irradiation. In addition, the World Health Organization approved the safety of food irradiation and its use for a wide range of food products.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recognizes that food irradiation “enhances the safety and quality of the food supply and helps protect consumers from foodborne illness.” In addition, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that irradiating half of all ground beef, poultry, pork, and processed meat would prevent approximately one million cases of food poisoning, 8,500 hospital admissions, 6,000 grave illnesses, and 350 deaths in the U.S. each year.

GMA and its member companies support the use of irradiation as a useful tool for improving food safety. Requiring schools to develop a policy that separates irradiated foods from nonirradiated foods would lead to confusion and fear about the safety of those items. The requirements of SF 1450 are unwarranted, given the extensive 50-plus years of research on and safe consumption of foods treated with irradiation. Therefore, GMA respectfully requests your NO vote in Committee.

Please contact me at (202) 295-3925 or kfisk@gmabrands.com if you have questions regarding GMA’s position on this issue.

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