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Consumer education key to public embracing irradiation

Even without changes to labeling requirements, some consumers appear to understand the food safety benefits of irradiation, says a consumer researcher.

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In the last few months, the food industry, especially packaging people, has been bombarded with news and opinions about irradiation. This includes what FDA plans to do about label copy and how a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to handle labeling of the packs that have undergone irradiation. Finally, some U.S. manufacturers of food products appear ready to embrace irradiation.

The terminology of label copy has been discussed, as well as the use or requirement of the radura symbol--virtually all of the technical details of putting a package of irradiated food into the marketplace. What hasn't been a real subject of discussion is the public perception of the process.

What isn't widely known is that irradiation has already become common for many products. It's currently used for improving the microbiological safety of products from spices to face cream, and from medical products to cotton balls. In fact, says one expert, irradiation has been approved by regulatory agencies in about 40 countries, and irradiated food is commercially available in about 30 of them.

So says Christine Bruhn, director of the Center for Consumer Research at the University of California at Davis (Davis, CA). "Although some consumers express concern when they hear the word 'irradiation,' most say they would buy irradiated foods. In 1996, almost 60% indicated they would buy irradiated foods with longer shelf life, and almost 70% would buy foods irradiated to destroy harmful bacteria," Dr. Bruhn told the Intl. Fresh Cut Produce Assn. earlier this year.

When consumers learn about the health benefits and the groups that endorse the process, Dr. Bruhn says that interest in purchasing increases to 80% or more. She reports on a Purdue University study on the effects of information and product samples on consumer attitudes.

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