The long-term health effects of eating irradiated food are unknown. Research shows that irradiation reduces the vitamin content of food and creates new chemical substances called radiolytic products. Some of these substances are known carcinogens, like benzene, while others are completely new substances that have not been tested for toxicity. Corporate agribusiness interests have lobbied the government to approve food irradiation because irradiation masks the unsanitary conditions under which animals are raised, slaughtered and processed. These conditions have set the stage for infection and disease.
Irradiation therefore gives consumers a false sense of security that the problem has been solved.
A 1997 poll conducted by CBS News found 77 percent of the public does not want to eat irradiated food. It is clear that USDA recognizes that irradiation changes the quality of food. Public Citizen supports USDA's move but calls on the agency to strengthen labeling laws and conduct long-term research on the health effects of eating irradiated food.