Food irradiation could have prevented recent E. Coli deaths. Would you purchase irradiated food?

Question

Manufacturers know how to make food perfectly safe from bacterial contamination. They don't because most people are too stupid to discern the difference between irradiated food and radioactive substances.

Most people think they will grow a tail or an extra limb if they eat irradiated food, even though they use a microwave oven every day to irradiate their own food.

(In case you don't know better, exposing food to radiation does NOT make it radioactive!)

This is a great example of the lack of science education in America today - people dying from E. Coli due to ignorance.

Are you willing to overcome irrational fears about irradiated food?

Acid Tongue - obviously you don't follow the news - those people *died* from E. Coli.

And in case you don't believe that food irradiation doesn't make you glow in the dark, here's the article on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_irradiation

Of course, I'll bet you never read it.

Answer 1

Foodbourne pathogens are "Estimated to cause 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,200 deaths in the United States each year. " (source CDC)

Food irradiation is only part of the solution. Some pathogens are much more resistant to radiation than benign species. Normally the growth of pathogens is inhibited by other species. If irradaition kills most of the benign bacteria, the pathogens can multiply uninhibited. Bacteria can grow very quickly, doubling every 20 minutes, so irradiated food may actually have more pathogens a day later. Secondly, irradiation breaks down complex molecules, possibly changing the taste and texture (not necessarily for the worse).

Another part of the solution is to test food for pathogens. Currently only a very small fraction (about 1/10,000 pieces) of food is tested to provide a level of statistical confidence that there are no systemic sources of contamination. The probalility of identifying episodic contamination is minimal. New technologies are needed for economic high volume testing.

Answer 2

We're already eating irradiated foods 'cept no one told us.
Heck I've been doing it for years and I don't glow in the dark yet....OK, maybe a little.

Irradiation can kill active enzymes which may alter the taste but most foods with active enzymes are pasteurized anyway.

Good point, thanks for bringing it up.

Answer 3

I'd rather have the runs for a short time, than glow in the dark, and dieslowly

Answer 4

Excellent point!!!!!!!!!!! I agree with Jack 100%!!!!! Too bad more people won't see your "question"!!!