Poultry
processors say they fear consumers will reject products that have been
irradiated to eliminate food-poisoning bacteria, yet the Consumers Association
of Canada is urging adoption of the technology.
Bruce Cran of
the Consumers Association of Canada is saying the federal government has done
"an incompetent job" informing Canadians that irradiation is safe and
he worries that a lack of action could lead to a deadly outbreak.
"They need
to promote an understanding so Canadians can make an informed choice, and
they're not doing that for whatever reason," Cran said.
"This is
not only a safe practice, it's one that many of us would like to be able to
use."
Robin Horel,
president of the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council, said "our
members would absolutely support it, but we haven't pushed hard because ... the
companies that produce chicken and turkey are concerned about what the consumer
response would be."
I guess they don't care that their customers may get sick.
Earlier this
year the federal government approved irradiation for ground beef, provided it
is clearly labeled with a logo inside a green circle.
