* "New types of harmful bacteria or evolving forms of older ones that can cause serious illness have led scientists to develop technologies that can help safeguard the nation's food supply. Irradiation can be an effective way to help reduce foodborne hazards and ensure that harmful organisms are not in the foods we buy."
-- Clemson University professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist Dr. Libby Hoyle, quoted in BI-LO Supermarkets press release, "BI-LO Supermarkets Add Irradiated Ground Beef Option", March 17, 2003

January 22, 2008

[Source: top story on front page of today's Johnson City Press (Tri-Cities, Tennessee)

September 29, 2006

* Minimizing future E.coli outbreaks with irradiation
Dave Russell, Brownfield (MO)

Sadex, a Fort Worth, Texas company that provides irradiation services to food and agricultural industries says that had the nation's supply of spinach been irradiated, the most recent outbreak of E.coli could have been minimized. To make his point, Sadex Corporation chairman and CEO David Corbin sat down Wednesday and ate a plate of spinach that had been inoculated with high amounts of E.coli then irradiated. The demonstration was conducted under the supervision of Midwest Laboratories, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska. "Irradiation is a well known and FDA-approved technology used on animal feed, meat and poultry," says Corbin. "This technology can prevent food-borne illness, and we believe it is a great way to protect the nation's food supply."

* Sadex officials defy E.coli bacteria; After irradiation, spinach is tasty and healthy
Nicole Paseka, Sioux City Journal (IA)

Popeye definitely would not have approved of the green, leafy spinach gobbled up by Sadex Corp. officials early Wednesday morning if he could have seen it under a microscope before it underwent irradiation -- the spinach contained 5 million colonies of E.coli bacteria per gram. "You would have been better off to have a cow come and dump on it," said David Corbin, chairman and chief executive officer of the Sadex Corp. Officials at the Sadex Corp. irradiated the highly contaminated spinach at the Sioux City plant, 2650 Murray St. Then they ate it like candy. "It was very good," Corbin said. "I didn't notice any difference." Harlan Clemmons, president and chief operating officer of the Sadex Corp., agreed with Corbin. "It had a good crunch to it," Clemmons said. "I didn't even have to put much dressing on it." Although the spinach started the day at 5 million colonies of E.coli bacteria per gram, after irradiation, it had 50 to 70 colonies per gram -- not enough to make humans sick. "That's why Harlan and I were highly confident in our spinach-eating ability," Corbin said. The Sadex officials performed this spinach-eating feat to demonstrate their confidence in electronic pasteurization (irradiation) technology for ready-to-eat foods. Electron-beam irradiation works on the same principle as a giant television set. Electrons ride across a radio frequency in two beams aimed at the product, killing dangerous microbes.

Irradiation could have prevented recent infections of E.coli bacteria linked to contaminated spinach, executives said. Sadex officials want the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the application of irradiation for use on ready-to-eat foods such as spinach. Irradiation technology is used in about 40 countries worldwide. In the United States, the only obstacle preventing irradiation of ready-to-eat foods is the FDA, Sadex officials said. "Irradiation is a well-known and FDA-approved technology used on animal feed, meat and poultry," Corbin said. "This technology can prevent food-borne illness, and we believe it is a great way to protect the nation's food supply. Had the nation's supply of spinach been irradiated, the most recent E.coli scare could have been minimized." Paul Driskell, managing director of government and regulatory affairs for the Sadex Corp., said the FDA has not approved of irradiation for ready-to-eat foods simply because of "bureaucratic inaction." There are also consumer misconceptions about irradiation -- that it is not safe or that it zaps the nutrition out of food. That is simply not true, Sadex executives said, and they have mountains of independent research to back up their claims. As of Wednesday afternoon, neither Corbin nor Clemmons were sick, proving they had as much brains as Popeye had buff.

September 28, 2006

* Jay Ambrose: E. coli outbreaks and irradiation
Examiner.com

... Public Citizen, which never quits yelping about the public good while simultaneously betraying it, and letÕs focus on its opposition to irradiation, which is ...

* Businessman a true believer in irradiation
Maria M. Perotin, Fort Worth Star Telegram (TX)

Fort Worth businessman David Corbin put his mouth where his money is Wednesday. The chief executive of Sadex Corp., a company that provides food-irradiation services, believes that his technology can help eliminate food-borne illnesses like the recent deadly E. coli outbreak. So he used the radiation treatment on bacteria-laden spinach, and then ate a bowlful of the stuff. "It was really, really good - a fine American product," Corbin said. Corbin is also president of the investment firm Corbin & Co. Sadex, which is based in Fort Worth and has an irradiation plant in Iowa, is pushing federal regulators to allow its treatment on bagged produce and other ready-to-eat foods. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permits irradiation of raw meat, poultry, fresh produce and spices. But it's prohibited for hot dogs, deli meats, packaged salads and other processed foods.

"It could've helped greatly reduce the spinach crisis, not only for the American consumer, but for American farmers," Corbin said. Irradiation, which exposes food to energy beams to destroy bacteria and boost the food's shelf life, doesn't make the food radioactive. Critics contend that it poses health risks and makes food less nutritious. Ontario's health ministry Wednesday confirmed the first Canadian case of E. coli infection from contaminated spinach linked to the U.S. outbreak. The victim ate spinach purchased at a grocery store in Renfrew County, about 93 miles northwest of Ottawa, said John Letherby, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Spinach contaminated with E. coli bacteria has sickened 183 people in 26 U.S. states and killed one person. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued recall orders and shut the border to U.S. spinach after learning of the outbreak, spokesman Marc Richard said in an interview. In separate developments, Ohio and Illinois became the fourth and fifth U.S. states Tuesday to isolate E. coli bacteria from bags of fresh spinach. Both states are conducting further tests to link the strains with the outbreak. The FDA late last week scrapped an outright ban on eating fresh spinach, saying that fresh spinach grown outside of the California counties Monterey, Santa Clara and San Benito is safe. Fresh spinach began reappearing in supermarket shelves this week. The FDA investigation has focused on Natural Selection Foods LLC, which produces spinach for distribution across the U.S. and to Canada and Mexico under a number of different brand names.

September 27, 2006

* Could Irradiation Have Prevented The Spinach Ban?
KTIV (IA)

In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration approved the irradiation process for beef. It's been done at Sadex Corp. plant in Sioux City, Iowa for about 5 years. Officials at Sadex say the process is safe and *if* it had been done to spinach, the recent outbreak of E-Coli could have been prevented.

Paul Driskell, Government and Regulatory Affairs: "There are people in this country attending funerals that are unnecessary."

Dr. Dennis Olson, Prof. of Animal Science, ISU: "It's important technology that can render these products essentially free of e-coli."

Sadex officials say the only problem with the irradiation of spinach is that the FDA has not approved it.

Laura Tarantino, FDA: "Irradiation is an effective mechanism for retracing micro-organisms, but it has to be studied product by product."

Driskell: "No one has ever presented back to the public any science that this posses a threat. E. coli has proven that it poses a threat."

FDA officials say they are NOT against the irradiation process, but they have no plans to approve the process for produce in the near future because many studies are still needed.

* Businessman a true believer in irradiation
Fort Worth Star Telegram (TX)

The chief executive of Sadex Corp., a company that provides food-irradiation services, believes that his technology can help eliminate food-borne illnesses ...

* With spinach, it may be whatÕs on the inside that counts

- PhysOrg.com ran the same story today with this photo.
University of Florida press release

Conventional wisdom holds that harmful bacteria on fruits and vegetables are the remnants of contamination skulking on the exterior of the plants Ñ easily washed away by conventional surface sterilization techniques. But University of Florida microbiology experts believe the recent rash of spinach-related E. coli infections may be instead linked to swarms of the pathogen lurking inside the leafy greens. Eric Triplett, professor and chair of microbiology and cell science with UFÕs Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has previously shown bacteria that wreak havoc in the human body can peacefully coexist in a plantÕs system Ñ and sometimes at levels that can reach 10,000 cells of bacteria per gram of vegetable matter. ThatÕs far beyond what is required to make a human very ill when it comes to pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli. ÒWe know that plants can take bacteria up from the soil through their roots,Ó Triplett said. ÒWhat we need to do now is investigate whether this is a problem with our crops, and then what we can do about it if it is.Ó

For food safety experts, this could mean a paradigm shift in thought about food sterilization. ÒWhen I was a graduate student, we were taught that the insides of plants were sterile,Ó said Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. ÒFurther elucidation is needed before we can say this is a major health concernÉbut assuming E. coli is getting into the plant Ñ yes, this will be a big problem to address.Ó The problem, UF researchers say, would be twofold. The first is the question of how to keep dangerous bacteria out of water and soil in the first place. The second is how to eliminate a pathogen if it does infiltrate crops. ÒGiven the relatively low frequency of these types of outbreaks, IÕd say the USDA and our growers are doing a pretty good job of keeping bacteria in check,Ó Triplett said. ÒBut outbreaks like this happen every one to two years, and everyone is kind of left scratching their heads.Ó Produce such as spinach is typically washed in a solution of chlorine and water. But this does nothing to affect the interior bacteria. Researchers with UFÕs Emerging Pathogens Initiative EPI are exploring how bacteria exist in crops and how they can be controlled. Past research has involved exploring how gaseous ozone and irradiation can be used to destroy potential interior pathogens. However, the EPI, which received $21 million in funding from the Florida Legislature this year, wonÕt stop there. ÒOur goal is to fully explore the cause of these types of problems, vet them out fully, and then find all potential solutions, not just the obvious ones,Ó said Doug Archer, former deputy director of the Food and Drug AdministrationÕs Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and an EPI advisory board member. We may simply be able to give the plants themselves the tools to fight infection. ÒIt is natural for plants to have bacteria in them, they have learned to use it in many ways to get nutrients that they have trouble getting from the soil or water,Ó said Zhonglin Mou, a microbiologist with UFÕs Emerging Pathogens Initiative. ÒSo, they have ways of controlling bacteria that we can use.Ó Mou is working with natural, non-genetically-modified-organism methods to adapt plantsÕ metabolic pathways so that their natural immune system is given a boost that can eliminate harmful bacteria. He hopes to receive a patent on his work in as little as six months. Further work must be done to determine the health risks associated with internalized bacteria. For now, Triplett and Doyle say, the best bet is trusting in the already well established safeguards. ÒBut IÕve been around long enough to see that things can change as the science evolves,Ó Doyle said. ÒThe old rules Ñ that we have long gone by Ñ no longer hold because the science supports new concepts. And this could be one.Ó

September 26, 2006

* The Truth Behind the Spinach Scare: Cheap Beef
Christopher Wanjek, LiveScience.com (NY)

The best food safety policy changes would encourage the return of small farms. Spinach can be grown, for example, in every state. If the locally-distributed produce of a small farm were to have had the same problems as the farm(s) in current spinach recall apparently did, well, the effects wouldn't have been widespread. Weeks after the current spinach-related deaths began, we still don't know what farm produced the contaminated spinach. As for irradiation, the writer dismisses it as a Band Aid, and asserts that irradiation deactivates vitamins in the food.

September 25, 2006

* E. COLI EXPERTS
Kansas State University press release

Daniel Y.C. Fung, professor of animal sciences and industry and professor of food science at Kansas State University ... has studied how spices can deter food-borne pathogens. Use of common kitchen spices, like clove and garlic, can kill up to 99 percent of the E. coli bacteria in ground beef. Fung is testing other spices for similar results and working to determine the exact combination of heat and spice that will be most effective on food-borne pathogens -- as well as the best tasting.

... The Food Safety Network Web site provides commentary, policy evaluation and public information on food safety issues "from farm to fork." In addition to maintaining the Web site, Powell gathers, edits and posts news articles each day on food safety-related issues through four electronic mail lists that are sent around the world twice each day. The four e-mail lists consist of the Food Safety Network, FSNet; Agriculture Network, AgNet; Animal Network, AnimalNet; and Functional Food Network, FFNet. The articles are gleaned from wire services, as well as scientific and technology-related news releases that are searched daily through an electronic information provider. Many major metropolitan newspapers are searched manually as well. Powell said the information reaches people from 70 countries in academia, the food industry, government, agriculture and the public at large. "We're really interested in having science make a difference in the world, and the way we do that is through information," Powell said [Doug Powell, the network's creator and a food scientist, has joined K-State as an associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine's department of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology. Powell started the Food Safety Network at the University of Guelph in 1994 and operated it from the school for 11 years]. "The idea of the e-mail lists is not to say what's right or wrong, but to show what's in the news for public discussion on any given day." Powell said the 300 news articles released through his lists each day reach about 12,000 direct subscribers and potentially millions more through re-distribution.

* Popeye had it right; Even with an E. coli outbreak, there's no reason to stop eating spinach -- try it cooked, frozen, or from a can
Stephen Smith, Boston Globe

There was a time when Popeye was strictly a can man: Nothing but spinach in a tin for the surly sailor-man. But times change, and so did Popeye, and as fresh spinach became all the rage with a health-conscious public, the cartoon character's jowly mug got plastered on bags of fresh spinach. Now, as disease sleuths track a deadly outbreak of E. coli germs blamed on tainted fresh spinach, there's evidence that the sailor had it right back in the old days. ``We have failed to profit from the early example of Popeye," said Dean Cliver , a food safety professor at the University of California at Davis . ``One of the most honored traditions of the human race is learning to cook things so they don't kill us."

... Late last week farmers in the California region dubbed ``The Salad Bowl to the World" promised to improve testing of water and soil for germs and to strengthen sanitation standards for field workers and packaging plants. At the same time, researchers in university labs are accelerating their efforts to find alternative ways to rid produce of dangerous bacteria. In labs from Gainesville, Fla., to Davis, Calif., scientists are developing high-pressure systems that would blast germs to pieces and are studying the feasibility of treating produce with ozone to kill bacteria. Irradiation, controversial in this country, continues to be explored, as well. And at the University of Florida , Eric Triplett is studying whether plants could be engineered to keep germs from getting inside in the first place.

... Spinach and other produce is routinely subjected to chlorinated cleaning during processing. That's good for removing much of what's on the surface, but it can't penetrate what's inside, where the E. coli could be hiding and feasting on sugar that's produced to heal lesions when vegetables are bruised or bumped. ``Then you have the big problem: No matter how much chlorine you dump on the outside, the E. coli is hitchhiking on the inside and it's got the windows rolled up and the doors locked," said Ken Lee , director of the Food Safety Center at Ohio State University . ``So it's not susceptible to the standard practice of cleaning the spinach."

September 23, 2006

* Iranian researchers irradiate shrimps
MehrNews.com (Iran)

... researchers at Iran's Nuclear Research Center for Agriculture & Medicine (NRCAM) ... could finally find the appropriate dosage of irradiation for reducing infections in both processed and unprocessed shrimps. According to the reports released on Saturday, the research work aims to both substitute the irradiation method for the former regular anti-bacterial methods such as using chemical substances, and also to standardize the bacterial infection of shrimps through a fast, economical and reliable method. ÊThe irradiated specimen shrimps were eventually tested with regards to their biochemical factors including their fat, protein, nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen, organic peroxides, Amino acids, and no considerable difference was diagnosed in them.

* Spinach is latest blot on Salinas
Sacramento Bee ( USA)

... A: Irradiation -- exposing food to high-energy rays, such as X-rays -- is the only method shown to reliably kill bacteria embedded deep within a lettuce or ...

September 22, 2006

* Reliance mangoes on Harrods, US supermarket shelves
Lola Nayar, IANS/Indian Muslims (California)

What product from the world's third largest oil refinery has the highest profit margin? The answer is the mangoes grown as part of a land-greening project at the site in India. ... Growing beyond the mandatory green cover requirement of 726 acres within its 8,000 acre refinery complex, Reliance has created a 2,016 acre green belt including 470 acres of mangoes. Of over 1,000 varieties of mangoes found in India, which is the largest producer and consumer of this fruit, Thimaiah has chosen 110 commercially viable varieties with Kesar covering 80 percent of the 102,000 trees planted. Reliance Agro Initiative Vice President I.M. Thimaiah narrates how they set about six years ago proving detractors wrong by planting wind breakers to protect mango plantations - now thriving in an area where hardly any tree stump could be seen. "We have 32 varieties of fruits planted here. The amazing thing is that everything that grows here is extra sweet and juicy," the man with the green fingers said proudly. The young sapotas, pomellos, grapefruits, Mandarin oranges, figs, hybrid tamarinds, red guavas, Barbados cherries and olives from Spain do his efforts proud. Thimaiah has piloted Reliance agro initiatives in other states keen to replicate the transformation of a barren and semi arid region into a green oasis...

The article mentions irradiation as a cost factor in exporting to Japan: "... In the case of Japan, the requirement of irradiation process is being seen as a difficult and expensive requirement. ..."

September 21, 2006

* Inouye and Akaka oppose fruit proposal
Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI)

Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop new proposed rules that would allow fresh tropical fruit from Thailand treated with irradiation to be imported to the United States. Rep. Neil Abercrombie has already come out against the proposed rule change. Inouye and Akaka issued a news release yesterday, saying they are joining Abercrombie and oppose allowing fresh Thai pineapples, mangoes, logans, lychees, rambutans and mangosteens to come into the U.S. Citing concerns over the spread of pests and diseases that might come into Hawaii from Thailand, the senators also asked that if the fruit is allowed to be imported to the mainland, it still be prohibited from coming into Hawaii. "I am very disappointed that the (Bush) administration seems to care so little about the livelihoods of these American farmers," Inouye said in the written news lease. Akaka noted that growers are concerned that the rule change "puts them on an unfair playing field with Thailand." Rep. Ed Case said yesterday that he believes it is "unrealistic" to believe that Hawaii can put up trade barriers to international competition. But he said Thailand should not be allowed to ship its products until Hawaii tropical fruits have the same access to mainland markets and there is adequate protection against pests and disease. Case said that repealing the Jones Act would lower costs and would help make Hawaii agriculture more competitive to foreign competition.

September 20, 2006

* Answers to readers' questions about E. coli and leafy greens
Janet Anderberg (public health advisor, state of Washington Department of Health's food safety program), Seattle Times

... Q: Would irradiation on a large scale be an effective and feasible solution? ... A: Irradiation is very effective at killing bacteria (including e coli). Irradiation has not been found to work very well, however on most produce items. With its current application irradiation works well on some foods and not as well on others. Basically, the technology just isn't there yet to irradiate leafy greens.

* Irradiation Could Be Used to Keep Food Safe
Ed Yeates, KSL-TV (UT)

Dr. Wayne Askew directs the University of Utah's foods and nutrition division in the College of Health. He's also a former member of the FDA's Food Safety Advisory Committee. He says irradiation may be the only way to ensure safety. "The FDA has studied it for 40 years - doesn't seem to alter the product, certainly doesn't make it radioactive. It's very effective against bacteria - E. coli, camplobacter, salmonella." While endorsing irradiation, Dr. Askew worries, however, that zapping more foods may make consumers complacent, eliminating the incentive to thoroughly clean fresh foods in their own kitchens. Those close to the FDA say instead of irradiation or chemical washes, the government most likely will impose tough new restrictions on how the products are grown and irrigated with very stiff penalties for any violations.

* ISU Professor Discusses Food Safety, Risks
KCCI.com (IA)

"I have very little concern about what I buy in a grocery store or what I eat in a restaurant because the risk is really very, very low," said Dr. Joseph Sebranek, a professor of food and animal science at Iowa State University. Sebranek has been studying food and meat safety for decades. He said food is safer now than ever before, he also admitted that outbreaks are more difficult to contain. "Part of the problem, of course, is we have larger production facilities, centralized processing facilities, so when something does happen, it tends to get spread a little more broadly than it might otherwise," he said. ... "There's a lot of efforts being made at processes that will reduce bacterial numbers on food products. Irradiation is an example," Sebranek said.

* What's In Your Gullet?
Annys Shin, Washington Post blog

... Post reader Gary Masters thinks it's time to go nuclear. "This is a job for irradiation. If we were not so well protected from the irradiation devices, we would have a system in place to protect us from E. coli and many other food diseases. Our fear of something that has never harmed us has allowed E. coli to kill us."

September 18, 2006

* Living the organic life
Kelly Morgan, The Campus Press (University of Colorado)

In order for food to be certified organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms and irradiation, and antibiotics and hormones in animals. Livestock must be given access to outdoor pasture and be fed 100 percent organic feed. Organic farms must also employ positive soil building, conservation, manure management and crop rotation practices. Although eating organically seems to be the most popular way of eating more sustainably, "it's not the end all, be all," said Professor Owen Murphy, who teaches a nutrition class. He encourages a more well rounded approach to eating sustainably, including buying locally and eating seasonally. "If you can't find it locally, you probably don't need it," Murphy said. "Don't expect tomatoes in the middle of winter."

* P82M for survey raises mango growersÕ hopes
Sun.Star (Philippines)

Following the implementation of a stricter quarantine protocol for mango exporters, the USDA requires Philippine mangoes to go through the irradiation process before they are shipped to the US. The US Department of AgricultureÕs (USDA) approval of an P82-million grant for a three-year pest survey raised the hopes of the provinceÕs mango growers to finally export their products to the United States. The survey, which will begin in July next year, will determine the appropriate level of dosage that prevents discoloration of the mango skin, Visayas Cham-ber of Mango Industry Multipurpose Cooperative (VCMIMPC) chairperson Virgie de la Fuente said. In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, de la Fuente said the proposed irradiation facility, which will also be financed by the USDA grant, will depend on the results of the survey. Apart from extending the shelf life of mangoes, the irradiation facility is designed to disinfect and kill pests, such as fruit flies and weevils.

September 15, 2006

* E. coli linked to organic produce company
UPI/Science Daily

The current spinach contamination brings to mind the 'time has come for irradiation' theme which has accompanied every major contamination event in recent years. For example, the 1997 story which lead off with "The Hudson Foods hamburger recall may be just what it takes to convince Americans that it's time to accept irradiation as another technique to safeguard their food supply, two Purdue experts say. ..." (Source: "Experts: Public Will Accept Irradiation In Wake Of Meat Recall", August 29, 1997)

September 9, 2006

* Slow Food Nation
Jim Hightower, AlterNet (CA)

In the very short span of about fifty years, we've allowed our politicians to do something remarkably stupid: turn America's food-policy decisions over to corporate lobbyists, lawyers and economists. These are people who could not run a watermelon stand if we gave them the melons and had the Highway Patrol flag down the customers for them -- yet, they have taken charge of the decisions that direct everything from how and where food is grown to what our children eat in school. As a result, America's food system (and much of the world's) has been industrialized, conglomeratized and globalized. This is food we're talking about, not widgets! Food, by its very nature, is meant to be agrarian, small-scale and local.

September 8, 2006

* Grow America Project indentifies barriers to growth of ag industry
Dave Russell, Brownfield (MO)

"The more new technology without the education to go with it, agriculture can expect questions and concerns and in instances outright opposition", according to Brose McVey, president of the Grow America Project. Board members representing all segments of the food industry, from the farm to McDonald's and Wal-Mart have begun the task of identifying areas of public concern. McVey says that already they have identified biotechnology, nanotechnology, irradiation and intensive livestock operations as areas of concern.

* Gene 'Delivery Truck' Aids Nonchemical Pest Control
Agricultural Research (MD)

In a pest-control approach called the sterile insect technique, irradiation is used to sterilize factory-grown males of a pest insect, like screwworms or ...

September 7, 2006

* Low-sodium diet: Why is processed food so salty?
MayoClinic.com

But today, food manufacturers have many other preservation methods available Ñ such as refrigeration, freezing, dehydration, irradiation and chemical ...

January 8, 2006

Food irradiation may yet become widespread

Last year, more than 10,000 people in America died because the food they ate was contaminated. And more than 75 million Americans will miss at least one day of school or work this year because of contaminated food. Yet the technology to virtually wipe out bacterial contamination -- irradiation -- has been around since the 1960s. It has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But it is rarely used to treat the nation's mainstream food supply. That includes ground beef, the primary culprit in E. coli O157:H7 infections, and poultry, the primary source of salmonella. "It's an absolute shame it's not used," said Ron Eustice, executive director of the Minnesota Beef Council. "It would save human suffering, protect human lives and significantly reduce the risk of liability."

Irradiation was poised to become a major player in the sterilization of ground beef and other meats until the primary provider of food irradiation services, Surebeam, went bankrupt in 2004. The demise of Surebeam left only one other primarily food irradiation plant: Food Technologies in Mulberry, Fla., which mostly treats strawberries. The major suppliers of ground beef -- Cargill, Tyson and ConAgra -- all had pilot programs with Surebeam. Smaller companies, including Omaha Steaks and Schwan's Fine Foods, also used Surebeam. Omaha Steaks and Schwan's continue to irradiate all of their ground beef at other facilities. But they are the exception.

Use of the process may increase because of some recent developments. Sadex, a Texas-based investment firm, purchased the assets of the defunct Surebeam Corp. in June 2005 and began updates on its Iowa irradiation plant. In late December, the plant began processing about 40,000 pounds per day of animal feed for mills in the Midwest. David A. Corbin, a former Surebeam investor, is manager of the plant. Surebeam technology exposes food to an electron beam for a few seconds. Other irradiation technologies expose food to energy waves from Cobalt-60 or X-rays. Corbin hopes Sadex will resume processing ground beef and other food products for many of the same companies that once used Surebeam, including Wichita-based Cargill Meat Solutions.

Some consumer groups, including Public Citizen, insist that irradiation reduces the nutritional quality of the food treated. They also contend that the process provides the food industry an incentive to sidestep cleanliness procedures and sell contaminated food. Studies by government agencies, however, maintain nutrition is not affected. While the food industry has made major gains in reducing bacteria through packing and processing efforts, some still remain. The goal of irradiation is to eliminate the remaining bacteria, researchers say. "It's impossible for packing operations to be clean enough to kill every bacteria," Eustice said.

Corbin, the plant manager, expects the future of irradiation to include many food products in addition to ground beef and poultry. In particular, he sees it as a substitute for the chemical fumigant methyl bromide, which is being phased out by the Environmental Protection Agency because of the health and environmental dangers it poses. "As we see more and more phasing out of chemical fumigants, we think the demand" for irradiation will grow, he said.

[Source: Phyllis Jacobs Griekspoor (pgriekspoor@wichitaeagle.com), "Food irradiation may start to take off; The process, which can kill most bacteria in ground beef and poultry, is still not a widespread food treatment", The Wichita Eagle (Kansas), January 8, 2006]

January 17, 2005

Fruit flies in mangoes? Irradiation is only choice this year, but vapor heat treatment trials are ongoing, too

Irradiated mangoes from Australia's North Queensland are causing concern in markets in New Zealand. Nine tons of mangoes from the Burdekin area were exported in December after being treated for fruit fly. A New Zealand conservation group has raised concerns about the sale of the irradiated fruit. Australian Mango Industry Association spokesperson Trevor Dunmore, says irradiation is the only way to get Queensland mangoes into the country. "At this stage irradiation is the only disinfestation measure we have approved for fruit fly," he said. "We're currently funding some further works with heat treatments, so hopefully if the trials are successful this season by the time next season comes around people will have a choice of vapour heat treatment or irradiation for fruit fly disinfestation."

[Source: PacNews, "Fruit fly treatment causes concern in NZ", Asia Pulse, January 17, 2005]

January 12, 2005

WTO rules say, if you allow irradiation, must allow irradiated imports

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), which assesses food safety, approved irradiation of fruit two years ago. Irradiation opponent Rebecca Duffy from Friends of the Earth said that because Australia had approved the irradiation of fruit, it was now obliged under World Trade Organisation rules to accept irradiated imports. Ms Duffy said the FSANZ approval was premature because consumers were not ready to accept irradiated food. According to the New Zealand Herald, 9 tonnes of Australian-grown mangoes, treated at Steritech's Narangba plant, hit the shelves of a New Zealand fruit shop chain just before Christmas.

[Source: Pine Rivers Press (Australia), "Irradiated fruit sold", January 12, 2005]

January 8, 2005

Blotches on imported mangoes prompt speculation - was it the irradiation?

Nine tonnes of mangoes were imported recently as the first shipment of irradiated food to arrive here for human consumption, and many developed black spots or blotches. The mangoes bear a small yellow sticker saying: "Irradiated to protect the New Zealand environment." Importer Mark Needham, of Pukekohe firm Fusion Marketing, said he had received no refund claims from retailers and any blemishes could have been caused by mishandling after the mangoes left his care. "It's not irradiation that's broken them down - I don't know how they are handled after they leave us." Friends of the Earth spokesman Bob Tait, who campaigned against Steretech attempts to build a food irradiation plant in New Zealand, wondered whether high doses of radiation from the isotope cobalt 60 may have chemically altered the insecticide dimethoate already in the fruit. He wondered if the blemishes were caused by a pathogen too small to have been damaged by radiation, or by some secondary infection which would have lost its natural immunity because of sterilisation. Food Safety Authority spokeswoman Sandra Daly said hundreds of reports over 15 years had shown irradiation to be safe.

Queensland grower Del Norman, who runs a medium-sized mango orchard south of Townsville with her husband Steve, was appalled to learn from the Herald that her fruit was irradiated before breaking out in blemishes. "That fruit should not be off," she said. "It should be still holding quite well if it's been refrigerated properly and I would say the irradiation is what's done it - most definitely. "I find that's pretty alarming. I didn't even know it was in New Zealand for a start. I didn't even know it was being irradiated and I am more than alarmed - if not totally alarmed - that it's breaking down after that time." Mrs Norman said the batch number on a box supplied to the Herald by the environmental group Friends of the Earth, which has been monitoring the mangoes at the Fruit World chain of shops in Auckland, showed it was picked and packed on December 13. She said a consignment picked the next day remained in very good condition within Australia. She was worried that the irradiated mangoes could damage the reputation of her orchard and spoil any chance of exporting fruit to New Zealand by more traditional means. The mangoes had already been treated with the insecticide dimethoate against Queensland fruitfly for the Australian market, and she wondered why they needed to be irradiated. Another of the three growers who supplied the first mango crop, Alex Johnson, was similarly unaware his fruit had been irradiated.

[Source: The New Zealand Herald, "Zapped mango imports break out in blotches", January 8, 2005]

January 8, 2005

Spices - British supermarkets prefer temperature treatment, not irradiation

The spice business is like a large river fed by thousands of small tributaries. A spice could be harvested in a remote Asian village and then handled and treated by a series of agents before it is packaged and put on shop shelves. Neither whole nor ground spices contain any artificial added ingredients, but they can contain residues of chemicals used to decontaminate them. Spices contain oils and are susceptible to contamination from pests, bacteria and moulds. These hazards arise in all stages of production: impure soil; unhygienic handling; filthy storage premises; and incorrect packaging. Consumers can also put themselves at risk if they do not store spices properly. Not only will the flavour and aroma be spoiled, but contaminated spices can cause serious food poisoning.
[Recommendation:] Buy spices only in small amounts and use them quickly. Keep them dry and cool, in a dark place. The safest choice is to buy whole spices, toast them in a hot dry pan and grind them in a pestle and mortar or electric coffee grinder as and when they are needed.

The major importing nations (which include the EU, the US, Japan and west Asia) insist on a low count of bacteria and micro-organisms. Various methods have been developed to control contaminants.
(1) Temperature treatment - The most natural method whereby spices are heated (steam pasteurised) or deep frozen. The disadvantage is that flavour can be lost, especially with steam pasteurisation.
(2) Fumigation - Chemical gases are pumped into a closed container. Some of the gases have been found to be carcinogens and are now banned in Britain. They include ethylene oxide and methyl bromide.
(3) Irradiation - Beams of radiation are passed over the spices at low temperatures, transferring energy and killing bacteria. This is very effective and the low temperature has the least effect on flavour, but irradiation can form free radicals, unstable molecules that promote ageing. Irradiation also puts a stop to natural vitality in food. An irradiated apple, for example, will not continue to ripen. In Britain, irradiated foods must be labelled "treated with ionising irradiation" or "irradiated". Irradiation is routine in Chinese-produced spices.

Both fumigation and irradiation are banned under Soil Association organic rules and the major retailers dislike selling spices that are labelled irradiated. Spices that have been steam pasteurised or frozen are preferred. For example, supermarket chains Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose do not fumigate or irradiate their own-brand spices. All use steam treatment and sieve ground spices when appropriate. Schwartz is a large and reliable producer that sells in supermarkets and independent shops. The spices are cleaned using the steam method. No irradiation is permitted.

[Source: Rose Prince (Savvy shopper column), "How to buy good food with peace of mind and a clear conscience. This week: spices", The Daily Telegraph (London), January 8, 2005, p. Weekend-8]

December 22, 2004

Food irradiation sources - amongst the many suitable for dirty bombs

"What keeps security officials up at night is the concern that a dirty bomb is relatively easy to put together. There are hundreds of thousands of radioactive sources around the globe, ranging from weapons-grade plutonium or uranium used in nuclear bombs to more widely disseminated materials used in certain industries. Radioactive sources can be extracted from basic medical equipment or food irradiation machines."

[Source: Lee H. Hamilton (vice chairman of the September 11 commission), "U.S. must act against threat of 'dirty bombs'", Taiwan News, December 22, 2004]

November 2004

Importance of Food Safety

The presence of microbial pathogens on human foods is a serious global problem. Even in highly industrialized and developed countries like the United States, pathogen-contaminated foods and the resulting health and economic impacts are significant. According to CDC (2004), each year Americans suffer 76 million infections, 325,000 hospitalizations, and approximately 5,000 deaths due to pathogen-contaminated foods. These events carry an estimated annual healthcare cost totaling $7 billion (USDA/ERS, 2000). Consider also that more than 74 million lb of pathogen-contaminated meat and meat products were recalled between 2000 and 2003 (USDA/FSIS, 2004), and the need for pathogen reduction is clear.

[Source: J. Scott Smith (prof - food chemistry, Kansas State U) and Suresh Pillai (prof - food safety and env'l microbiology, and director - Nat'l Ctr for Electron Beam Food Research, Texas A & M U), "Irradiation and food safety", Food Technology 58(11):48-55, November 2004]

Irradiation applications approved or under consideration by FDA and USDA

[Adapted from Olson (1998) by Smith and Pillai 2004]

April 6, 2004

SureBeam Corp. bankruptcy

SureBeam Corp. built irradiation facilities near the meat-packing centers of Chicago and Sioux City, Iowa, and elsewhere in anticipation of demand for its electron-beam technology used to destroy bacteria such as E. coli that cause food-borne diseases. But that demand was slow to take hold. SureBeam never made a profit in 33 months as a public company. It also was embroiled in an accounting dispute with its auditor and faced several shareholder lawsuits by the time it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Jan. 19. The 3,600 shareholders in the company will lose all of their investment because SureBeam's assets aren't large enough to cover its debts. Its largest creditor, Titan Corp., will receive the vast majority of SureBeam's assets, including equipment, patents and inventory, to satisfy loans of $25 million. Titan plans to sell the assets, the company said in a statement yesterday. An estimated $3.9 million has been set aside to distribute to SureBeam's unsecured administrative and trade creditors. Titan gave up first claim to those funds in exchange for Surebeam's promise not to sue Titan for patent infringement, unjust enrichment, unfair business practices and other claims.

[Ref: Mike Freeman (Union-Tribune staff writer), "SureBeam clears major block in bankruptcy case", San Diego Union-Tribune, April 6, 2004]

April 2, 2004

Minneapolis school board sez no thanks to irradiated beef, but rejects outright ban

When irradiated beef became available to Minneapolis schools in January, the district school board passed up the opportunity. Minneapolis students, the board said, face less risk of contamination because it buys already-cooked beef. Opponents of irradiated beef asked the board to ban any purchase of irradiated beef for five years. Health officials opposed that move, as did interim Superintendent David Jennings, who asked for flexibility in case any problems with contaminated beef surface.

Ref: Steve Brandt (staff writer), "Schools don't buy or ban zapped beef", Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), April 2, 2004, p. 7B

November 20, 2003

NASA's irradiation geared to long shelf life, too

NASA is the leader in irradiated food technology, and has been irradiating astronauts' in-training and in-mission food since the 1970s. NASA uses a much higher dose than is generally used in targeting E. coli, but their goal is more than just food safety. NASA wants to make foods shelf stable. "Their meats can last years without being refrigerated," Vestal said (Dr. T. Andy Vestal, an associate director and Texas Cooperative Extension Specialist at the Institute of Food Science and Engineering).
[Source: Dan Orth, "A&M scientists aim for safer food", The Battalion (Texas A&M), November 20, 2003]

September 5, 2003

$4.6-million award upheld in school lunch e. coli case (state of Washington, 1998 event)

August 1, 2003

* The Truth About Irradiated Meat
Consumer Reports,ÊAugust 2003,Êp. 34 --
Consumer Reports bought 500 packs of irradiated meat from sixty stores in eleven states. Sure enough, the irradiated meat had less bacteria than other hamburger or chicken -- 90-99% less, on average. And Consumer Reports found no elevated levels of artery-clogging trans fat in the irradiated meats, contrary to some recent claims. However, blind taste tests showed that most of the testers could identify which meats had been irradiated. Most common description: the irradiated meat has a slightly scorched taste and a smell reminiscent of singed hair. Yes, irradiating meat will likely save hundreds of lives, thousands of grave illnesses and hospital admissions, and hundreds of thousands of cases of food poisoning -- every year. But Consumer Reports fears that consumers will become overconfident and that the meat industry will become overreliant, at the expense of cleanliness before irradiation step in the process. nuclear.com notes that such concerns didn't deter CU from endorsing seat belts in cars. There were some impressive studies by University of Chicago economist Sam Peltzman in the early 70s indicating that seat belt-wearing drivers were more likely to be in accidents, presumably because they felt safer in taking risks. Most states now require seat belt use. But the anti-irradiation crowd doesn't even want you to have a choice. As for the reported singed hair consensus, I'm surprised we haven't heard such criticism from the Dairy Queen customers in Minnesota. A Minnesota agricultural newspaper, The Land, quoted the owner of the Spicer, MN Dairy Queen about three months after his store started selling irradiated burgers: "the majority of customer comments are along the lines of 'it's about time'." [Ref: Mindy ward (The Land Staff Writer), Irradiated beef gaining acceptance, The Land]

* Food irradiation not necessary for careful meat cooks, but many, if not most, cooks aren't that careful

* Food irradiation is safe, so demonstrably so that even Consumer Reports sez "we never say otherwise"

* Food irradiation - no reason to be alarmed at 2-ACB research findings

* Food irradiation - details of Consumer Reports' meat taste test methodology

July 11, 2003

Conference Highlights: First World Congress on Food Irradiation

The First World Congress on Food Irradiation was held on May 5-6, 2003 in conjunction with the Food Marketing Institute Show in Chicago. Here are some of the highlights described in Rick Michal's article published in the July Nuclear News:

* Food irradiation is such a good public health move that it will come to be seen as "the fourth pillar of public health", predicted Ronald Eustice (executive director of the Minnesota Beef Council). Eustice discussed some of the many technologies that have helped increase life expectancy in the United States: pasteurization has helped to eliminate tuberculosis, immunization has made the iron lung obsolete, and chlorination has helped to make the water supply safe. "During this decade, food irradiation will take its place as the fourth pillar of public health," he said.

* Public Citizen, one of the most vocal anti-irradiation groups in the world, has been quite misrepresenting a German study on chemical byproducts, according to the German researcher himself. Christine Bruhn, past chair of the Food Science Communicators and of the Nutrition Division of the Institute of Food Technologists, discussed claims of the alleged presence of chemical by-products called cyclobutanes (2-ACBs) formed in irradiated foods. Here's how Michal described this: "In the literature passed out before the meeting by Public Citizen, that group claimed that 2-ACBs were shown to promote the carcinogenesis process in rats, and to cause genetic damage in rats and in human cells, as based on recent research done by German scientists. But in reality, as related by Bruhn, the lead German researcher had refuted the claims of Public Citizen. The researcher stated that Public Citizen had taken the German research, translated it to English, and then made the translation fit the argument that Public Citizen wanted. Said Bruhn: 'We have a statement from the [German] professor himself, who said, 'I want to distance myself from the conclusions the [activists] reached. The [Public Citizen] report contains a number of incorrect statements.'' The researcher's letter concluded that 'the 2-ACBs fed to animals or consumed by humans have shown no adverse affects attributed to the irradiation treatment.' Bruhn then topped off her presentation by quoting a line from an earlier speaker: 'The ill-effects of irradiated foods are unknown because no one has been able to find them.'"

* It took 40 years for pasteurization to become widespread, so the 50 years so far for irradiation isn't so unusual. Make no mistake about it, the United States is moving forward with food irradiation. In the January 2003 edition of Meat Marketing & Technology magazine, editor Dan Murphy wrote, "In the last 12 months, irradiation of raw ground beef has moved from one of the constellation of antimicrobial treatment options to the technology of choice for controlling E. coli 015787." Minnesota Beef Council's Mr. Eustice noted that irradiated ground beef is now available in about 6500 supermarkets and some 2-3,000 restaurants. In Minnesota, it is available "on every corner," he said. "I can go to the filling station and buy it at the SuperAmerica [convenience store]. I can go down the street just a little farther and it's available at Dairy Queen. I can go farther and I have a Cub Foods Store and they have, in some cases, eight different types of irradiated ground beef from two different manufacturers."

* The list of professional groups and government agencies recommending food irradiation is pretty impressive: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, and the the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved irradiation as safe and effective. The keynote speaker at the conference was Elsa Murano, undersecretary for the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). She referred to food irradiation as "one of the most thoroughly researched processes in existence." Food irradiation is needed in the United States, she explained, because the nation carries a burden of foodborne illness. Data from CDC show that while there is progress in fighting foodborne illness, it remains a significant national public health problem. CDC estimates that 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5000 deaths are caused each year in the United States by foodborne pathogens. As such, she said, FSIS is implementing a "broad and long-term science-based strategy" to improve the safety of the products it regulates, including food irradiation.

[Ref: Rick Michal, "Irradiated food, good; foodborne pathogens, bad", Nuclear News, July 2003, p. 62]

[postscript, added August 4: The good folks at American Nuclear Society have posted a pdf version of the full article highlighted here. It's available by clicking here.

May 13, 2003

The evidence suggests only that safety increases with irradiation

Among those arguing against using irradiated beef at schools are Ralph Nader's Public Citizen and the Center for Food Safety. They point to recent research in Europe suggesting that radiation -- at levels several times higher than the 3 to 6 kilograys used at plants like one in Sioux City, Iowa -- produces chemical byproducts likely to promote colon cancer or DNA damage in rats. The study's researchers have since issued statements suggesting an internal debate about whether the results apply to the sort of beef irradiation taking hold in the United States. 'Given the unknowns we're dealing with, it's stupid to experiment on 27 million school kids,' said Peter Jenkins, a policy analyst at the Center for Food Safety. But Randall Phebus, an associate professor of food microbiology in the Food Science Institute at Kansas State University, said the scientific evidence suggests only that safety increases with irradiation. 'I don't think there are any dangers,' he said. 'As a scientist, I can state that as a fact.' [Source: Scott Canon (KC Star), "Irradiated beef grows in acceptance despite some concerns", The Kansas City Star, May 13, 2003]

Liability considerations will propell increased use of irradiation

... since irradiated beef gained government backing in December 1999 and was first marketed in 2000, it has crept steadily onto the American dinner table ... Irradiation plants are springing up in concert with consumer acceptance -- or indifference -- and a corporate demand to reduce the liability of selling hamburgers. ... [A]nalysts tend to speak of food irradiation as a technology whose usage will grow when approval comes to irradiate hot dogs and other processed meats. Irradiation is 'only going to become more widespread because you have the liability' of tainted meat, said Randall Phebus, an associate professor of food microbiology in the Food Science Institute at Kansas State University. [Source: Scott Canon (KC Star), "Irradiated beef grows in acceptance despite some concerns", The Kansas City Star, May 13, 2003]

Why risk your health on likelihood that burger flipper is paying diligent attention?

Although pathogens and other bacteria can be overcome in the kitchen, by making sure the meat is cooked thoroughly, sometimes the line of defense between a child and poisoned food is the efficiency of a teenager flipping burgers at his first job. 'On a Friday or a Saturday night, you might have somebody in the back who might not be paying as close attention as they need to,' said Dean Peters, a spokesman for Dairy Queen International. 'If this technology is there, why not look at it?' [Source: Scott Canon (KC Star), "Irradiated beef grows in acceptance despite some concerns", The Kansas City Star, May 13, 2003]

Pricing varies

The treated burgers used by 103 Dairy Queens in Minnesota wholesale for an extra 1.2 cents per patty. In grocery stores, irradiated meat sells for roughly 10 cents/lb more. [Source: Scott Canon (KC Star), "Irradiated beef grows in acceptance despite some concerns", The Kansas City Star, May 13, 2003]

In Boston area, Shaw's grocery stores are currently pricing irradiated meat the same as regular meat. Stop & Shop is selling irradiated meat at a 30-cent-per-pound premium. [Source: Bruce Mohl (Globe Staff, Consumer beat), "Pass The Ketchup, Hold The Radiation?", The Boston Globe, April 27, 2003, p. C1]

May 8, 2003

USDA official praises irradiation

At this week's World Congress on Food Irradiation, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Elsa Murano said irradiation is the most effective means of keeping food safe. She also said the cost of irradiation equipment has prevented the technology from being installed more widely at slaughter houses. Unless the price of the technology comes down, it is probably more efficient to irradiate meat at a central facility than at the point of slaughter, she said. [Source: Mark Kawar (World-Herald staff writer), "SureBeam takes hit on warning", Omaha World-Herald (Nebraska) May 8, 2003, p. 1d

April 29, 2003

The big lie

Armed with studies that they say suggest that irradiation can be a harmful additive to food, Public Citizen and food-safety groups have been working to organize parents and students against the use of irradiated meat. Public Citizen posted on its Web site a "School Lunch Organizing Kit" and an activist kit for college students. Mary Strohmayer and Jody Scott Olson, who have children or relatives in one of the Minnesota districts with the pilot program, are using some of the materials in their campaign against irradiation. "I haven't found anything that supports serving this to children," Strohmayer said. "It's irresponsible of them to use our children as a test market."

Public Citizen has asked the USDA to stop the pilot program run by the department's Food and Nutrition Service, saying it is being used to promote irradiation. It cited the proposal submitted by the state, which characterized a successful outcome of the pilot as "the acceptance and introduction" of the treated meat. It complained there are no consumer groups as "partners" in the pilot, while SureBeam, the Minnesota Beef Council and International Dairy Queen Corp., which serves irradiated hamburgers at its restaurants, are partners.

Mark Stephenson, a spokesman for SureBeam, said Public Citizen's opposition is "all subterfuge." "Their livelihood depends on controversy," he said. "They continue to perpetuate the big lie." [Source: Cindy Skrzycki, "Fallout Over Irradiated Food in School Lunches", The Washington Post, April 29, 2003, p. E1]

April 27, 2003

The "consumer beat" column in today's Boston Globe referred to irradiated ground beef as "a scary-sounding product that has generated enormous consumer confusion." [Source: Bruce Mohl (Globe Staff, Consumer beat), "Pass The Ketchup, Hold The Radiation?", The Boston Globe, April 27, 2003, p. C1]

April 21, 2003

5,000 grocery stores offer irradiated meats, up from virtually none in 2000

"[F]ew stores sold irradiated meat in 2000 but 5,000 stores offer it now", according to SureBeam Corp., a leading meat irradiation company that kills bacteria with electron beams generated by electrical, not radioactive, means, as cited in AP article today.

postscript, added April 29: The Washington Post today refers to a lot more than 5,000 stores: "SureBeam Corp. of San Diego, a major food irradiator, said it treated about 15 million pounds of fresh ground beef last year, which was sold in about 7,500 stores, including Giant. The company estimated annual sales of irradiated ground beef at 8 billion to 9 billion pounds."

Emergency room physician reflects on the 5,000 deaths/yr from food-borne illness in USA

Dr. Peter Berkman (emergency room physician, San Diego) was quoted in an AP story on food irradiation today. He frequently sees children and adults severely sick with food poisoning, suffering from painful abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. Some are on the brink of death. "What I've seen, taking care of children like that, it's devastating," said Dr. Berkman. "It's amazing to me that 5,000 people die a year from food-borne illness, and the country yawns." Irradiation is one more step in meat processing that could prevent someone from dying of food poisoning, he told the reporter.