Food Irradiation Update is published by the Minnesota Beef Council

Quotable Quotes:

ìI believe the adoption of food irradiation will come, especially with the support of public health officials.î

Dennis Olson, PhD; Iowa State University

"The evidence is overwhelming that irradiation is an enormously valuable and useful process which benefits humans when applied in this manner to kill bacterial pathogens in and on food products."

Ralph C. Whaley, M.D. Barron, Wis.

In This Update:

Marler Blog: Pros and Cons of Commercial Irradiation of Fresh Iceberg Lettuce and Fresh Spinach (Part I)

Irradiation: Turning on the High Beams

Safe Food Supply is Costly and Time Consuming Process

FDA Okays Safer Spinach but Not Tomatoes

Food Irradiation of Produce Long Overdue

USDA Eyes Allowing Irradiation of Beef Carcasses

Irradiation of Meats & Produce

Important Food Safety Links:

Kansas State University

Marler Blog

Food Irradiation Processing Alliance (FIPA)

MARLER BLOG: Pros and Cons of Commercial Irradiation of Fresh Iceberg Lettuce and Fresh Spinach:

a literature review; (Oct. 1, 2008) Marler Blog by Bill Marler

This is the first part of a multi-part series on the Pros and Cons of Commercial Irradiation of Fresh Iceberg Lettuce and Fresh Spinach. Given the recent outbreaks, hopefully this is timely.

On August 22, 2008, FDA published a final rule for the safe use of ionizing radiation (also termed irradiation, irradiation pasteurization, cold pasteurization) of fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach for control of foodborne pathogens, and extension of shelf-life. A few weeks later, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report entitled, ìImprovements Needed in FDA Oversight of Fresh Produce.î This report states that FDAís intervention efforts for reducing the risk of contamination during the processing of fresh-cut produce have been limited. Interestingly, the GAO reviewers only briefly mention irradiation, and brought little context to the implications of introducing irradiation as a potential control (ìkillî) step during produce processing.
 

Currently, a serious outbreak of E. coli O157:H7, possibly linked to iceberg lettuce, is unfolding in Michigan and other parts of the United States. Since 1995, the FDA has documented at least 22 other E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks traced to leafy greens likely contaminated before retail distribution, including a number of outbreaks involving fresh iceberg lettuce and spinach. Clearly, there is a need for improved methods to prevent contamination of produce before it reaches the consumer.
 

Most food safety experts would agree that there is no silver bullet (defined by Websterís dictionary as ìa magical weapon; especially: one that instantly solves a long-standing problemî) to guarantee protection of any food from contamination. The use of comprehensive ìfarm-to-tableî approaches is well accepted as the best way to combat the complex problems in food safety.
 

Where does irradiation of food fit into this evolving continuum including the new rule in the United States for lettuce and spinach? Read more here:

See Second Installment Here....

Irradiation: Turning on the High Beams; Farm News (October 4, 2008)

By Darcy Dougherty  Maulsby; Farm News staff writer:

AMES, IOWA ó The salmonella outbreak linked to peppers that sickened more than 1,200 people in 42 states this summer has brought food safety to the forefront once again, and researchers at Iowa State University, who have long promoted food irradiation, say this is too beneficial a technology not be used.

ìI believe the adoption of food irradiation will come, especially with the support of public health officials,î said Dr. Dennis Olson, a professor of animal science, who directs ISUís Linear Accelerator Facility, which was installed in 1993. The LAF is one of only two commercial-sized irradiation facilities for food research and demonstration on a U.S. university campus. ìUnfortunately, the technology only advances when thereís a catastrophe,î Olson said. Read more at  http://www.farmnews-iowa.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=6143

Safe food supply is costly, time consuming; Irradiation is one method that is being considered; (Sept. 27, 2008)

The Monterey County (California) Herald:

Commentary: FDA Okays Safer Spinach but Not Tomatoes; (Sept. 26, 2008) by Thomas Bowden; Ayn Rand Center:

Washington, DC--Eight years after grocers asked the Food and Drug Administration for permission to kill salmonella and E. coli by irradiation, the agency is preparing to approve that treatment for spinach and iceberg lettuce.

Romaine lettuce and tomatoes, however, must wait until the FDA gets around to considering those particular vegetables.

ìIf a private company stood by while customers died, instead of implementing known safety measures, it would be criminally prosecuted and driven out of business in a storm of public outrage,î said Thomas Bowden, an analyst at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights. ìBut when the FDA plods along nonchalantly for eight years, churning paperwork while people drop dead from food-borne diseases, no one calls for the agencyís abolition.

ìThe FDAís existence is based on the false belief that profit-seeking grocers will poison their customers if not required to seek prior government clearance for each product they sell. But in fact, the profit motive is what keeps businesses vigilant about product safety. A grocery store that paid no attention to food-borne pathogens would soon go out of business, in favor of stores that did. Customersí best guarantee of food quality and safety will always be the need of growers and purveyors to guard their reputations.

ìIf consumers are leery of irradiation, they are free to avoid buying foods prepared that way. But grocers should be free to offer such produce to those who welcome the increased safety that irradiation brings. Government should not have the power to interfere with free trade in food.î

Mr. Bowden is an analyst at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, focusing on legal issues.  http://AynRandCenter.org/

Letter to the Editor: Food Irradiation of Produce Long Overdue: (Sept. 9, 2008) Wall Street Journal; Ralph C. Whaley M.D.

The Food and Drug Administration's action on the irradiation of produce was long overdue ("Lettuce Rejoice," Review & Outlook, Aug. 28). Millions of dollars worth of produce has been needlessly destroyed, thousands of individuals have become sick and some have died, by the failure of the FDA to approve irradiation for all fruits, meats and vegetables long ago. Its efficacy in killing bacterial pathogens has been widely known for years.

The standard required for approval by the FDA is impossible to meet. You can't prove a negative. It is only possible to prove the actual attributes of any existent problem by direct or indirect sense perception evidence. The evidence is overwhelming that irradiation is an enormously valuable and useful process which benefits humans when applied in this manner to kill bacterial pathogens in and on food products.

Ralph C. Whaley, M.D. Barron, Wis.

Sep 8, 2008 (CIDRAP News) ñ At the request of a meat industry group, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering allowing the low-dose irradiation of beef carcasses to kill pathogenic bacteria on the surface.

The USDA already permits irradiation of raw meat to reduce pathogens, with a requirement that the treated products be clearly labeled as irradiated. The proposal now under consideration would classify low-dose irradiation of carcasses as a "processing aid," meaning that products made from the carcasses would not have to be labeled as irradiated, according to a Federal Register notice dated today.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has scheduled a hearing on the proposal for Sep 18 in Washington, DC, scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza SW.

The FSIS announcement comes less than 3 weeks after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the irradiation of fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce, which were tied to Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks that involved hundreds of illnesses in the fall of 2006.

The American Meat Institute (AMI) submitted a petition in July 2005 to allow low-dose, low-penetration, electron-beam irradiation of chilled beef carcasses, according to the FSIS notice. "The petition requested that information concerning irradiation treatment not be required on the label of any products derived from the carcass."  http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/fs/irradiation/news/sep0808irrad.html

Food Irradiation; Food, Nutrition & Science from the Lempert Report; (Sept. 29, 2008) by Allison Bloom, Staff Writer:

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) reports that about one-third to one-half of consumers are aware or somewhat aware of the process of food irradiation. About two-thirds of those consumers indicate that they would be willing to purchase foods treated with this process. Additional research studies at leading universities show that with education, at least 80 to 85 percent of consumers are willing to purchase irradiated foods. Does this willingness translate into dollars?

FoodNutritionSciencefromtheLempertReport@mail6.subscribermail.com

More articles of interest:

Irradiation a useful tool in promoting food safety

Scientist Says Irradiated Produce Poses No Health Risk

Minister Defends Canada's Food Safety System

Producers Go Hi-Tech Against Germs

Sadex Corporation Sees "Green" After FDA Announcement

Retailers Favor Irradiation Increase

A Boost for Food Safety