Is Food Irradiation the Answer?
Look for this Symbol to Know if Your Food Has Been Irradiated
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new food recall in the news – this time pistachio nuts are possibly contaminated with salmonella. You really have to wonder why people who are responsible for handling our food – the stuff we put in our bodies! – aren’t more concerned about hygiene including hand washing. After all, aren’t they planning to eat the food too?
Unfortunately, we’re humans, and humans are prone to careless error. And despite the sincerity of our wishes, stuff happens. So aside from having government paid watchdogs standing over each person in a food processing plant, is there an alternative?
Apparently some people believe food irradiation might be the answer. In the process of irradiation, food is exposed to radiation to kill harmful bacteria, insects and parasites, reducing food spoilage and food borne illness. It has been tested for the past 40 years and deemed by scientists in 40 countries and by the World Health Organization to be safe. Scientists claim that there is no residual radiation in the food, that the changes to nutrition and taste are minor, and are less than that resulting from cooking. And, similarly, the by-products from the process aren’t believed to be harmful. If you’re interested in reading more on this process, the CDC has a good article on Food Safety and Irradiation.
Opposition to the process comes from many sources. Some people are merely concerned that irradiated food costs more. Others feel that food safety and handling measures will become extra lax when we assume the problem is being managed with irradiation. They’re also concerned about the dangers of extra radiation in our environment. Finally, there’s a group of people that worry about the dangers of irradiation by-products despite the assurances of scientists in the field. The Center for Food Safety presents a good article on the opposition opinion.
Speaking for myself, I’m inclined to be in favor of irradiation. As much as I’m skeptical about government intervention in my food, I think the benefits outweigh the risks. The University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, AMA, CDC, FDA, and other independent scientists, all feel that irradiation is safe, making the case for it pretty compelling. Back when pasteurization was implemented, the public experienced equal concerns, but now most of us wouldn’t drink or serve to our kids unpasteurized milk. And if we’re concerned about radiation in the environment, well, we already have it around us in hospitals, dental offices, and airports. It’s a fact of our modern world and, fingers crossed, the benefits have outweighed the risks. So for now, with reservations and a bit of skepticism, I look forward to the implementation of this technology not too far off in the future. Because until people become more reliable with their hand washing, I want to eat my pistachios without worrying about getting sick.
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I see the plot of the science fiction story now. The food irradiating robot makes its way through the hydroponics farm killing all the evil bacteria except for one. That bacterium becomes stronger. It mutates. It multiplies and soon the precious survivors on Earth are battling irradiating robots and super bacteria.
Hmm, I think you’re onto something. Maybe that governor can be hired when he retires to play the first irradiating robot – as he walks away from that one evil bacterium, we hear him declare, “I’ll be back.” Too bad he becomes nominated for a cabinet post and never makes it.