The transtasman decision this week to allow irradiated food is another triumph for global food giants at the expense of consumers and farmers.

That's according to Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons who said it was a step in the "industrialisation of our food to satisfy multinational food companies rather than local consumers and farmers".

"While labelling appears to give consumers choice, not all food with irradiated ingredients will be labelled. I am also concerned that the next step will be to remove labelling, as is happening in the United States."

Ms Fitzsimons warned that the decision to allow irradiated food into New Zealand could be "the thin end of the wedge" to widespread use of the technology.

"I am particularly worried by the possible construction of food irradiation plants in New Zealand, which would detract from the country's clean, green image.

"Food irradiation is a way of disguising food contamination and allowing much slacker hygiene standards. Instead of stopping contamination at the source, it tries to kill the harmful bacteria. Because it generally kills the bugs that cause food to smell `off' but does not kill some of the most dangerous organisms, it can give a false assurance of safety.

"At the same time it creates new substances in the food with unknown effects and reduces food value," Ms Fitzsimons said.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>