Food Irradiation

Due to recent salmonella and E. coli outbreaks, interest in new technology to provide safer food has risen.  This new technology seems to be pointed in the direction of highly controversial irradiation. 

The CDC claims that the food is in no way damaged, except that all living parts, i.e. seeds, are killed.  They maintain that the nutritional content, vitamins and minerals, will not be changed.  Handling of the food should not change since contamination can sill occur after irradiation.

However, according to Organic Consumers Organization, what the CDC says and what is truth are two completely different things.  They say that irradiation does damage food and does so by creating free radicals.  Free radicals are known for wrecking havoc inside the human body, this is why antioxidants are so important to our health, antioxidants that are often provided by fresh, non-irradiated fruits and vegetables.  While free radicals can kill harmful bacteria on produce, they will also damage the vitamin and mineral content.

During the break down of vitamins, minerals and other food components - including pesticides - new chemicals are created called unique radiolytic products (URPs).  Some of the URPs are known toxins.  Others are 100% unknown therefore no one knows what potentially harmful effects they can have on the human body.

While the CDC says approval of food irradiation is based on animal studies which showed safety in several generation of animals, Organic Consumers points out the longest study involving human consumption was a mere 15 weeks.  There are no studies involving the long-term effects, nor are there studies involving the feeding of infants and children.  In addition, Marcia van Gemert, Ph.D and toxicologist who chaired the FDA committee that approved irradiation says the FDA based its approval on just 5 of 441 animal studies.

Food contamination is often due to fecal contamination that results from careless processing and faulty federal inspection.  Irradiation does nothing to solve those issues.  Bottom line, irradiation may reduce the nutritional content of foods, and in today's world of heavily processed foods, those nutrients could be absolutely detrimental to the health of America.

For more information visit www.organicconsumers.org