Aussie Finch Forum

Irradiated Seed what are your thoughts on this? is it as nutritious as untreated seed?

If you can find any it should be no more or less nutritious than any other form of devitalized seed - no worse than heat treated and probably better than ancient (old) seed.

In Western Australia a large majority of bird seed is irradiated Greg due to our very strict border quarantine regulations in my opinion a bit too strict at times!!!

It can't be too bad as I've used it without any problems.

How do they irradiate seed? I presume the seeds are exposed to some form of radiation which kills them (devitalises them?). So why is it called irradiation, rather than just radiation? For a complete ignoramous on such matters it sounds a bit scary. Are seeds destined for human consumption also irradiated?

I know that they use gamma irradiation chambers to sterilise medical goods and some foodstuffs, and I believe that all imported hempseed is irradiated. I think that this is to prevent people from getting viable seed or growing crops in Australia; clearly a very effective strategy given the frequency of dope growing in Australia....

I think that they call it irradiated as opposed to radiated to make it clear that it was exposed to a radiation source, but is not itself radioactive. A trivial distinction from a scientific point of view, perhaps, but crucial to marketers.

There is no evidence of health problems/concerns in people who consume or are exposed to these 'irradiated' products; I presume that this is also true for less-studied species like birds. Would be happily corrected by a fair-dinkum expert.

Whether its irradiated or "killed" by heat treatment, the birds don't like dead seed. Just put some live sproutable stuff in a dish beside some dead seed of the same variety & the dead stuff doesn't even get touched until the good one is all gone. I refuse to believe that dead seed can be the same nutritionally as untreated seed. If its the only available option fair enough but where you have a choice I would never ever buy dead seed. Maw seed is the only variety I have no choice but to buy dead stuff.

http://www.health.qld.gov.au/ph/Documents/ehu/14775.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consume ... iation.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just FYI

Ok two bobs worth here:
Firstly irradiated terminology comes from the early Latin which roughly translates to "being in" or to "shine on". So to have something that has been irradiated means it has been exposed to radiation (shined upon). Technically the seed is dead or sterile, but this depends on the dose rate and also the source/type of radiation. So if you look at it scientifically and if you could keep the seed sealed after being irradiated means that there would also be no other organisms in the seed ( ie bateria and fungi etc) that would be resposnible for eventualy breaking down the seed, ie a reduced shelf life. So one could argue that while the seed is dead it potentially has a better shelf life and potentially nutritionally more stable then dried seed particulalry if you keep it in a fairly inert atmosphere. At the end of the day it is about variety, fruit, vegies, sprouts, green seeds, dried seed or soft food mixes and live foods etc. And in relation to why products are irradiated when they come into the country, in very limited circumstances it is to prevent the growing of very elite lines of certain seeds, certainly not the ones finchos use. Mostly it is about controlling the many pathogens that could easily esatblish in our growing areas and destroy what reasonable freedom we currently have now from an agricultural perpective.

Anyway just a differt view for some mulling over. Stepping down from my soap box now.