The Ministers added that under the proposed standard, which follows Codex international guidelines, all irradiated food and food ingredients would be required to be labelled. Many countries, including New Zealand, guard against the importation of exotic insect pests by requiring disinfestation treatment of some fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals and grains that can carry pests. In 1997 experts organised by the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency re-examined food irradiation. That meeting reviewed extensive research on food irradiation and reconfirmed many years of experience demonstrating that it is safe and effective, so long as sensory qualities of food are retained and harmful micro-organisms are destroyed. Food irradiation can help limit food borne diseases caused by micro-organisms like campylobacter and salmonella.
Food borne illnesses can be serious and in rare cases cause death.
This is especially so for some foods, such as spices and uncooked chicken, which occasionally can carry a high risk of bacterial contamination. For dried herbs and spices there are very few treatment methods that can be used without loss of quality or flavour. Spices are currently treated with ethylene oxide gas to rid them of potentially harmful bacteria. Since 1989 Government policy has not allowed irradiation treatment of food for human consumption in New Zealand. Labelling is not required by existing New Zealand law.