Using Radiation to Clean up Our Food?

Using Radiation To Clean Up Our Food

 

One not-so-well known food safety action was created at the beginning of August 2008 by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Quite simply, the new act allowed producers to zap spinach and iceberg lettuce with radiation. At first, this sounds ludicrous, but apparently, just the right amount of radiation kills micro-organisms such as E. coli and salmonella.

Although zapping away bacteria sounds like a wonderful idea, irradiation is not the "cure-all" the agency is looking for. Most food-borne illnesses come from viruses that will not be destroyed by irradiation. So while it may be safe and effective for destroying some pathogens, it will not solve all our food problems. Yet, everyone seems to agree, irradiated food is safer than food that has not been treated.

Believe it or not, irradiated food has been around for a while, although this is the first time irradiation has been allowed on vegetables. The FDA has allowed beef, eggs, poultry, oysters and spices to be irradiated, but the people don't tend to buy these products. "People think the product is radioactive," said Harlan Clemmons, president of Sadex, a food irradiation company based in Sioux City, Iowa. This is due to the fact that the FDA requires these foods to be labeled as irradiated food, which scares off consumers.

Supporters of irradiation say that the new technology can help reduce the risk of illness and the number of outbreaks. Critics condemned the FDA saying that irradiation reduces nutritional value, creates unsafe chemicals, and ruins taste. Deciding which one is right is up to you to decide.

 

~PixiStix