> From: Grant Magnuson <[log in to unmask]>

> There was mention of it already being in use for chicken, fruits and a
> few other food items, but so far it's use on beef seems not to be
> approved or fraught with problems such as consumers being "afraid" and
> "shying" away from meat with large irradiation labels.
>
> I just don't know anything about what the process is or what it's
> adversaries are claiming to be the problems with it's use?
>
> I've seen no such labeling at any place we've shopped and was wondering
> if someone can expand on what's "going on" or "coming down" with
> irradiation and why, if it works against such things as E. Coli, isn't
> it's use more wide spread?
For general info about irradiation, if you can read French, see:

http://sesame.mathp6.jussieu.fr/~tu/irrad.html

English summary (please apologize the shortcomings of my translation, I
have no dictionary at hand):

The methid consists in sending a beam of beta or gamma radiation. For
instance, the disintegration of Cobalt 60 produces photons gamma of 1.33
and 1.17 MeV. These radiations have an ionizing effect on food: some
molecules lose electrons, thus some bonds break and free radicals
appear. The latter can recombine with each other, thus producing new
molecules. If the irradiation is performed in an environment containing
water, some oxygen peroxyde H2O2 is formed, and can react in turn with
other substances.

Advantages:
----------
 *The irradiation doesn't change the external espect of the food
 *Destruction of micro-organisms: due to the damaging of membranes, or
enzymes, or nucleid acid. Radiations can induce mutations.
 *Fruits: irradiation modifies enzymatic activity of tissues and slows
down ripening and seescence of some fruits (bananas, mangos, papayas).
It allows to prolong cold storage of strawberries by destroying mold.
 *Vegetables: inhibits germination (potatoes, garlic, onion, shallots,
carrots)
 *Grains: destroys insects
 *Starch, sugar, spices...: destruction of some bacteria and pathogenic
species.
 *Meats: destruction of Pseudomonas, Achromobacter, Salmonella
(intereseting for chicken).

Disadvantages:
-------------
Not well known. There is up to now no proof of toxic or carcinogenic
effects on animals, but it would be worth to pursue research in this
area.

 *In some foods, like milk (or meat if excessively irradiated), some
compounds with an unpleasant odor appear. For fruits and vegetables,
texture, some pigments and starch are altered.
 *Alteration of vitamins A,B,C,E.

Examples of commonly irradiated foods:
-------------------------------------
Potatoes, garlic, onion, spices, fresh and frozen poultry products,
strawberries, papayas, mangos, avocados, grains.


See also

http://moose.uvm.edu/~rgreene/shanna.html

Last remark: as a raw-fooder, I wonder how people who eat cooked food at each
meal worry so much about irradiation. Cooking and irradiating are two different
forms of denaturation, so if one can accept to eat cooked meat, why not eat
irradiated meat as well? Is it because in the mind of the general public, they
believe that eating irradiated food is equivalent to being irradiated??


Jean-Louis
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