URGENT!      http://www.purefood.org/Irrad/irrad719.cfm

LAST CHANCE TO STOP FOOD IRRADIATION Deadline extended!! - Comments to FDA Needed Before July 19

Since the comment period began in February, the FDA has received well over 8000 comments and petition signatures, most in favor of continuing labeling. Probably because of this unexpected response, the FDA extended the deadline another two months, to July 19, 1999. After, they may announce a regulation, or they may decide to do nothing and keep the labels.

Why is labeling important? Without labeling, there will be no way for you to know if your food has been irradiated. You would be forced to participate in a giant, uncontrolled experiment on human health, like that being carried out using genetically engineered food. Only organic foods would be spared. People who claim irradiated-food-related health problems will not be able to prove them. Hundreds of irradiation facilities will be built, and the owners will demand their investment be returned. A flood of irradiated foods will enter the market as food processors irradiate merely to protect themselves from liability. American meat exporters will sue foreign governments whose labels act as a restraint of trade. Only a public health catastrophe will move Congress to reinstate labels.

If you believe you should be able to choose whether or not to eat irradiated foods, you should write to the FDA and send a copyof your letter to your member of Congress.

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Patricia Hansen at the FDA said comments by e-mail (to FDADockets@oc.fda.gov) are accepted but discouraged because if the e-mail is garbled it will be discarded. The reason given for not posting comments to the internet is: staffing

The Docket #98N-1038 must appear in the subject line.

http://www.purefood.org/Irrad/irrad719.cfm

For sample letters, go to:

http://www.purefood.org/eventlink.htm