Yes Kwan the power of the people will never be defeated,
like the 100th monkey, we might just cacth on and move past go.
Never give up
no matter what is going on
Never give up
Develop the heart
Too much energy in your country
is spent developing the mind
instead of the heart
Be compassionate
Not just to your friends
but to everyone
Work for peace
in your heart and in the world
and I say again
Never give up
No matter what is happening
No matter what is going on around you
Never give up.

message given by his holiness the Dalai Lama
April 1984

I think the result of irradiating the food will be:

1) to move more health & wellness oriented people to grow more of their own food and buy more organically grown food that has not been "nuked"
2) a general worsening of the health of the general population as the effects of eating "nuked" foods become results.
3) more foods being "nuked" as time goes on.

thanks, bill-- that brought tears to my eyes.

ezrider-- yes, you may be right. already a lot of our produce is nuked (tropical fruits, for instance) and people are unaware of it.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

If anyone hears anything about the status of organic food through all of this, please post it here.

2012 can't come quickly enough. =\

Or, we're all going to need some practical guides to Breatharianism, ASAP. (F1... don't go!)

Kwan, what tropical fruits? It does make sense, if anything imported and non-organic is subject to irradiation...

This makes me so deeply sad. So, so sad. And it can't be a matter of, "Oh, well I just won't eat X anymore," because they've already started irradiating, the foot is in the door. This has to be stopped.

Sure, I can shop intelligently, but that feels so unsatisfying and passive. Maybe I'm impatient...

On the question of whether organics were also to be irradiated, this is what I found in the first sentence of one of the articles covering it at Organic Consumer's Association website:


FDA: Irradiating Spinach, Lettuce OK to Kill Germs
By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP, via Google, August 21, 2008
Straight to the Source


Web note: Irradiated ingredients and foods are prohibited by the USDA's National Organic Standards

Wishing you vibrant health

Thanks Pistachio!

That link (from above) led me to another link by Ronnie Cummings:
[www.organicconsumers.org]

Which states:
While the FDA proposed in 2007 to do away with irradiation
labels in favor of misleading labels such as "cold pasteurization,"
"electronic pasteurization," or other euphemistic terms they
have met with intense pressure from consumers, including the
Organic Consumers Association. As industry has admitted "We
have long argued that the use of the term irradiation or
radiation has such a negative impact on the consumer that it
basically acts as a warning label," said Jeff Barach, vice
president of the Grocery Manufacturers/Food Products Association,
an industry group.

FDA regulations still require that irradiated lettuce and
spinach sold in retail stores be labeled as "Treated by
radiation" and display the Radura symbol at the point of
sale, although irradiated greens served in restaurants,
schools, hospitals, and nursing home would not have to be
labeled.

Steve
[www.meetup.com]
[www.rawgosia.com]

This is probably the scariest subject I researched in a long time. I plan on posting more about this later, but here are a couple of interesting links.

From FDA's own site:
[www.fda.gov]

[www.fda.gov]

There are lots of these docs. I'm searching for the FDA test data, the bush admin likes to hide those reports on embassy web sites, making them hard to find.

On rense.com there are links to several articles about this. Looking at some of the dates from one of the links, some aspects of food irradiation were approved back as early as the 60's: [www.cfsan.fda.gov]

soooo...organic food is NOT irradiated?
patty

To summarize:
1)FDA rules prohibit the irradiating of organic produce.
2)Irradiated produce must be labeled at retail stores (but
it does not have to be labeled in restaurants, schools,
hospitals, nursing homes, etc.)

Steve
[www.meetup.com]
[www.rawgosia.com]

PARAGON



could u show me the link that states that organic produce will not be irradiated?

this is a blurry area for me

i know that mangoes are heated

i wonder if organic mangoes are heated as well

thus i question what they will do to organic spinach

i never buy iceberg lettuce

but i figure this is just a start

kwan

good response to happyway


HAPPYWAY

you chose your board name for a reason
i am confident that your reason was a sound one
and not based on ignorance or a need to shy away from some grim aspects of reality

there is no contradictions whatsoever in having compassion and love
staying rooted in what is and what isn't
and also fighting for right causes

if Ghandi was filled with nothing but poisonous rage
nothing would have been accomplished

if Martin Luther King was overwhelmed with violent loathing
the Civil Rights movement and all the profound repurcussions that followed
would have been aborted before it even started

because we have compassion for our own physical weakness ( inability to thrive on irradiated foods) we fight Codex

because we have love and respect for our bodies, minds and spirits
we fight for good causes
some choose to do this by simply planting a garden

because we have love and compassion
we find a civil way to deal with this

love and compassion are not mutually exclusive from feeling anger

but in the end, the love and compassion we have for ourselves and the health of others is the ONLY reason why we bother to take up this cause

make sense?

please ponder this

i don't ever want to hear anyone deriding, blaspheming, or slandering
love and compassion

these qualities ought never to be castigated

it is perhaps the ONLY thing that will save us and this planet

these qualities have NOTHING to do with being ignorant, refusing to see "reality"
or being out of touch

these qualities have EVERYTHING to do with strength, intelligence, and all and everything else that is good

perhaps one of these days i will know the true meaning of these two words

it is something that we can all aspire to

we could ALWAYS use more of it

laV--

<<hug... kiss on cheek>>
you're beautiful; thank you

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

>could u show me the link that states that organic produce will not be irradiated?

Click on the links in the posts (above) starting with:
Posted by: Pistachio (IP Logged)
Date: August 22, 2008 03:54PM

Steve
[www.meetup.com]
[www.rawgosia.com]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

Even if it's true about organic, how long would that last?

It doesn't matter for almonds or milk if they're organic or not.

Who profits from this?

LikeItOrNot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Even if it's true about organic, how long would
> that last?

That is something I wonder about. If there's one place to find 'creative' uses for irradiation services on a long term basis, food items would be a very good choice since barring a famine, eating will not be going out of style in a hurry.

Even imported organics are a concern, since so many products are required to be 'treated' somehow after arriving but before release to the public to decrease the likelihood of non-native pests spreading to the local flora.

If there is a reported outbreak associated with organic produce similar to the tomato/pepper situation, will that be used as the basis to change the regulations and treat them as conventional products?

So many questions....

Maybe look at this with an optimistic attitude? I see it as a chance for a massive shift where others are forced into taking responsibility for their own lives and health. It will be small scale, of course, in the beginning. But, like concentric circles after a drop of rain on a lake, others will begin to shift and change, as well. Over time, everyone will see the need for personal responsibility with their health and lives. In the beginning, it will only be those of us who are already on a healthly living path.

Here's how I choose to see the future (based on changes I've seen in and around me during my life, so far), factoring in the government's decisions over the years on what is "healthy" for the masses. My thoughts don't flow very well, or always make a lot of sense to anyone else, but this is my own vision for my future and I don't claim to be perfect. ;-) I just thought I'd share it as a way to say that we don't have to feel helpless, we can take control of our lives and shape the future into one in which we can happily survive.

Observations of past and present, which shape my view of what the future will hold:

* When I was a kid, few understood vegetarianism and many were afraid for my health.

* When I was a teen, people saw some value in vegetarianism, even if they didn't adopt the lifestyle themselves.

* When I was in college, few understood veganism and many were afraid for my health.

NOTE: at this point vegetarianism is widely understood, accepted, and adopted.

* When I became a mother, people saw some value in veganism, even if they didn't adopt the lifestly themselves.

* When my daughter was growing, few believed the health benefits of organic produce, and they insisted I was wasting money and organics wouldn't help my daughter grow any better than pesticide-filled foods.


* When my daughter grew well and showed she was extremely bright, happy, and healthy compared to others her age, many started to think maybe organics weren't such a waste.

* When I was obese and unwell, few believed I could thrive on only raw foods and many thought I was foolish to be so extreme.

NOTE: at this point veganism is widely understood, accepted, and being adopted by many.

* When I became a glowing example of health, many were inspired and started to see value in eating raw foods.

* When my daughter became a teenager, few thought it was a good idea to sell all of our possessions and move to a climate where we could sustain ourselves by living a simpler life, and many said we'd regret the change.

========
My predictions for the future, based on my experiences from the past:

* When our joy flowed through every cell of our bodies from living a more natural life, others started to see the benefits to living a more natural lifestyle.

NOTE: at this point raw foodism was widely understood, accepted, and adopted by many.

* When we lived simple enough to save money to buy large amounts of land, few thought we made good choices and many accused us of going to extremes.

* When the land was ready, many saw that we were prepared for the time when others were without adequate living foods to nourish their bodies.

NOTE: at this point consuming animal products is widely accepted as being harmful to the human body, the animals, and the planet. Very few young people consume animal products and many are raw vegans.

* When we opened our hearts and home, allowing many to come and learn a more natural way of living, few doubted our thoughts any more.


------------

This is a chance for us to break free from the cycle of relying on others to care for us. It may not be easy, but if health is a priority in your life you will find a way to break the current cycle of dependence and strike out to create a new independent path for yourself. I refuse to rely any longer on the government or mass markets to supply me with the life-energy I need to survive. I am making changes that will allow me to be independent of such relationships. I invite you to break free, as well, if you aren't already doing so. And, if you've already succeeded, please leave some notes carved into the rocks along the paths that the rest of us will be following.

Don't let them scare you...stand up taller and stronger. We people, with raw energy running through our veins, are survivors. No matter what they do to stomp us out, we're clever enough to continue thriving. I choose to not hate them (government and other such businesses), instead I feel sorry for them. I will open my loving arms to embrace the individuals within those organizations as they slowly wake up to their true selves and need to be held, forgiven, and loved.

Lots of love to all of you,

Wendi
XOXOXO

who profits? the big corps and the stores
less loss cuz longer shelf life meaning no waste
big farmers cuz no loss in product or profit due to lesser "scares" and less waste

not understanding how this is a positive with the general public not even knowing what irradiation is? the general population is going to see this as a good thing because they are going to feed into the fears and buy what the gvmnt is saying.

I found an interesting report:

[Federal Register: August 22, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 164)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 49593-49603]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22au08-2]

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
21 CFR Part 179
[Docket No. FDA-1999-F-2405] (formerly 1999F-5522)

Irradiation in the Production, Processing and Handling of Food
AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Final rule.

Here is a quote:

"The overall effects of ionizing radiation on carbohydrates are
basically the same as those caused by cooking and other food processing
treatments (Refs. 1 and 10). Irradiation of carbohydrates at doses up
to 10 kGy has minimal effect on the carbohydrate functionality and the
resulting products are smaller carbohydrates or other compounds also
produced from carbohydrates through oxidation and/or heat treatment.
FDA concludes that no significant change in carbohydrate nutrient value
or functionality is expected to occur in iceberg lettuce and spinach
irradiated at doses up to 4 kGy."


Link to full text:
[www.cfsan.fda.gov]

If you read the whole report take note of...

1. The info for lipids (fats) and protein only refers to animal products. However this report is only about iceberg lettuce and spinach. No plant based protein effect analysis is mentioned.

2. The tests conducted were questionable, at best. Notice that they fed animals fruits and veggies that would not be in their normal diets, then pointed out the the control group had the same adverse affects.

Government Science and research at it's best!

Here is the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES report on irradiating seeds.

[www.cfsan.fda.gov]

Notice how this report is dated October 2000, and the report on lettuce is dated August 2008, yet some parts are copied word for word.