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So far irradiation seems to creep out consumers, and Big Food's been trying for a while to get us all to adopt nice-sounding names like "cold pasteurization" so they don't have to fear lost sales if they nuke our food.

Currently, irradiated food is labeled as such, with a "radura" symbol on it too. The FDA has proposed dropping this requirement and allowing other terms (including "pasteurization") on packaging when food has been irradiated.

For consumers, this is misleading. Maybe irradiation isn't the end of the world - certainly attitudes will differ on a personal level - but don't we at least deserve full information about our food so we can make our own decisions?

Irradiation doesn't leave the food radioactive at all. My own gripe about the matter is that it seems to give up on solving any of the problems in food production... instead of trying to keep shit out of the meat, let's make sterile shit the latest and greatest burger condiment. Yum! Can I have extra pickles with that?

If you'd like to comment, go here and under docket ID, type: 2005N-0272

When you go to comment, they have several questions. If you don't want to or don't know how to answer them, scroll down to where you can just leave a "general comment." My comment was something like:

I oppose dropping the requirement for irradiated foods to include the radura symbol on their packaging and allowing them to use nondescript terms such as "pasteurized." Consumers have a right to full information about their food, including whether or not it was irradiated.

We've got until TOMORROW, so help get the word out!