Irradiated Meat Coming to School Lunches starting in January

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Schools get irradiated beef, parents get note home

By LANCE GAY

Scripps Howard News Service

May 29, 2003

 

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday announced

it will offer irradiated meat in the school lunch program starting

January, but it wants local school boards to notify parents if they

opt to include sanitized meats served in school meals.

 

Facing strong opposition to the policy from parents and consumer

groups, the agency said it has no choice but to offer irradiated meat

to the 27 million children fed under the school lunch program because

Congress directed in last year's farm bill that the USDA make use of

irradiation. The technology can kill most dangerous food pathogens

such as E. coli and salmonella

 

Eric Bost, undersecretary of agriculture for food, nutrition and

consumer services, said each school district will have the option of

deciding whether it wants the Agriculture Department to provide the

schools in their districts irradiated or nonirradiated beef in

January 2004.

 

In a letter to the school districts, Bost urged school boards to

notify parents in advance of their decision and consider giving clear

notice when irradiated meat is served on monthly menus distributed to

parents - or " appropriate signage on the serving line " where children

get their meals.

 

" While USDA does not have the authority to require that schools

inform parents and students about whether or not the district will be

ordering irradiated beef, USDA is strongly encouraging schools to

provide information to students, teachers, food service personnel,

school administrators, parents and caregivers as part of the

decision-making process, " he said.

 

The agency said Thursday it is preparing to send educational

materials to school districts next month that could be used to inform

parents about irradiation, but irradiated product won't be included

in the school lunch program until January 2004 to give local school

boards the option of making their choice on whether to participate.

 

Consumers groups said irradiation would not be needed if meat

slaughtering plants followed proper sanitation procedures to keep

fecal contamination out of the food supply.

 

Wenonah Hauter, director of Public Citizen's critical mass energy and

environmental program, said the government is ignoring public will by

approving the use of irradiation. She said that 91 percent of parents

and children commenting on the USDA rule were opposed to the

technology.

 

" This horrendous decision benefits the meat industry at the expense

of society's most vulnerable citizens - our children, " she said.

" Approving irradiated meat for school cafeterias nationwide means the

USDA is willing to put our children's health at risk to help cover up

the meat industry's sanitation failures. "

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved irradiation for food

in 1997, and several supermarkets are offering irradiated ground beef

in their freezer displays. The USDA noted in its statement that

irradiation is only a tool in protecting consumers from food-borne

illnesses and does not guarantee an absolutely sterile product.

 

Gaye Lynn Macdonald, president of the American School Food Service

Association representing 57,000 officials at the local level involved

in the school lunch program, said she was pleased the federal

government is asking local school boards to make decisions on

irradiation.

 

" Local decisions tend to be the best decisions, " she said.

 

James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute, called

irradiation opponents " misinformed and alarmist. " He said the

technology is already used in more than 40 nations, and has been

subjected to " decades of exhaustive research " showing that it is

safe.

 

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