Clear thinking on Nuclear: Food irradiation

1
Clear thinking on NuclearFood irradiation

1. Irradiation can reduce food borne illness by
   killing harmful bacteria
2. It can reduce food lost to insect and rodent
   infestation
3. It is a proven, cost effective option for
   increasing usable food supplies

2
Reduce food borne illness

• Treating raw meat and poultry with irradiation
  could reduce or eliminate disease-causing
  bacteria commonly found such as E. coli O157H7,
  Salmonella, and Campylobacter.
• Unlike traditional washing, irradiation kills
  bacteria throughout the food, not just on the
  surface, and both fresh and frozen foods can be
  treated.
• Packaged food can be sterilized, enhancing its
  safety for people with weakened or deficient
  immune systems

3
Reduce food lost to insect and rodent infestation

• Irradiation is one of very few viable
  alternatives to methyl bromide, an
  ozone-depleting chemical used to fumigate grains
  against insects.
• It is an internationally approved method of
  eliminating insects like fruit flies from fresh
  tropical fruits - like Hawaiian papayas.
• Unlike chemical treatments, irradiation leaves no
  residue on the food.

4
Increase shelf life by slowing ripening and
spoilage

• Strawberries treated with a low dose of radiation
  will not mold for up to two weeks even without
  refrigeration
• Irradiated potatoes, yams and onions can be
  stored for an extended period even if not
  refrigerated, which increases their availability
  in underdeveloped countries.
• Bananas, mangoes and papayas often last two to
  three times as long after irradiation.

5
Increases usable food supplies

• Proven, effective option for increasing usable
  food supplies
• Most spices sold wholesale in the United States
  are already irradiated to eliminate the need for
  chemical fumigation, and American astronauts have
  eaten irradiated foods on space missions since
  the 1970s.
• As much as 25 of the worlds food production is
  lost to insects, bacteria and rodents after
  harvesting.
• The Centers for Disease Control estimates that
  known pathogens, most of which can be reduced or
  eliminated by irradiation treatment, cause 14
  million illnesses, 60,000 hospitalizations, and
  1,800 deaths each year in the United States, a
  country with one of the safest food supply
  systems in the world.

6
ANS Resources

• CDC FAQs about Irradiation
• http//www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodirr
  adiation.htm
• University of Wisconsin Food Irradiation Group
• http//uw-food-irradiation.engr.wisc.edu/
• Food Safety Research Information Office (FSRIO a
  unit of the USDA) Food Irradiation information
• http//www.nal.usda.gov/fsrio/topics/tpfdirrad.htm
  
• The European Commission on Food Safety Food
  Irradiation web page
• http//www.europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sfp/fi_index
  _en.html