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Food Irradiation Update is published by the Minnesota Beef Council |
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Quotable Quotes: "In the age of organic food chic, critics may not relent easily, but consumers may soon relieve the suspense. The same arguments and hyperventilation once greeted the introduction of pasteurization for dairy products, now the rule in every American grocery store. Over the past 50 years, the U.S. has cut foodborne illness in half -- and the FDA's latest move (to approve irradiation of spinach and iceberg lettuce) will reduce those numbers further.î Wall Street Journal Editorial
"And all the while, the (beef) industry admits all its work is unlikely to ever add up to the kill step that irradiation provides....Cattlemen's organizations and processors all say they're behind irradiation ñ with policies of support on their books that they trot out when queried ñ but they continue to hide behind the skirt that consumers won't accept irradiation. A wealth of research, however, shows that ñ with education ñ 85% of consumers will embrace the technology. Still, the industry dithers, hems and haws over the other 15% ñ many of them likely non-meat eaters". Joe Roybal, Editor; BEEF Magazine
" Outbreaks continue. This year, we have had E. coli outbreaks from romaine lettuce in Washington and millions of pounds of ground beef recalled in several states. Both outbreaks could have been prevented by irradiation. It may be late, but let's applaud the FDA. Now it's time for the food industry to protect our children by routinely irradiating ground beef, lettuce and spinach." Harry Hull, MD; Former Minnesota State Epidemiologist |
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In This Update: Lettuce Rejoice Zapping greens boosts safety, but there's more to do Move makes food safer Safer Salad And The E. coli O157:H7 Beat Just Goes On FSIS to hold public meeting regarding beef irradiation petition Nebraska Beef, Ltd. Expands E. Coli Fear not: Recent salmonella outbreak shows benefits of irradiating many foods Turning up the food safety debate I Want to Find Irradiated Salad Greens in My Local Grocery Store Important Food Safety Links: |
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| Editorial Comment: Lettuce Rejoice; Wall Street Journal; (August 28, 2008); | |||
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These are salad days for the Food and Drug Administration, which announced last Friday that it will let food producers irradiate fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce to kill e-coli and salmonella. The decision wasn't early or broad enough to avert this summer's food scare, but it's a step in the right direction for consumers and producers who want reasonable options to ensure the produce they're taking home is safe. Under the new regime, the leafy greens can be zapped before they are sent to market to ensure they aren't carrying bacteria that have been the source of major food scares in recent years. The method can prevent repeats of many of the major U.S. E. coli outbreaks in the past two decades in foods ranging from spinach to onions to alfalfa sprouts and jalapenos. If it sounds like good news, not everyone was celebrating at Naderite groups like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which sees irradiation as a threat to regulatory oversight on issues like farm cleanliness. In response to the FDA decision, CSPI insisted that irradiation was not a "silver bullet" and "may not be the futuristic cure-all the agency is looking for." They're the moderates. During the tomato scare, a group called Food and Water Watch warned that "irradiating vegetables is impractical and dangerous" and "only serves the food industry's ever-growing appetite to cut costs and increase profits." This is the same crowd that presumably thinks you can hire enough inspectors to look at every tomato. In the reality of a global marketplace, contamination can be almost impossible to track. On-farm inspections and other regulations have nothing on a distribution network that offers multiple opportunities for contamination at every stop along the food chain, from washing, to packing, to salsa-making. Irradiation has already been approved in many other consumer products, including dried spices and meats, as well as the recent addition of shipments of Indian mangoes and Hawaiian papaya. The process has long since garnered the blessings of groups like the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization for its ability to limit foodborne illnesses. At the FDA, irradiation of any given food must be proven safe before it can be approved -- the strictest standard available. In the age of organic food chic, critics may not relent easily, but consumers may soon relieve the suspense. The same arguments and hyperventilation once greeted the introduction of pasteurization for dairy products, now the rule in every American grocery store. Over the past 50 years, the U.S. has cut foodborne illness in half -- and the FDA's latest move will reduce those numbers further. See all of today's editorials and op-eds, plus video commentary, on Opinion Journal. |
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Editorial Comment: Zapping greens boosts safety, but there's more to do; (September 2, 2008) Orlando Sentinel: |
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made
a bright move this month in deciding to let food producers zap
spinach and lettuce with irradiation to kill dangerous germs. Irradiation won't
eliminate the risk of contaminated spinach and lettuce. Viruses,
for example, aren't killed during irradiation. Consumers still
need to wash their produce. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed02308sep02,0,993273.story |
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Letter to the Editor: Move makes food safer; USA Today (August 28, 2008) Harry F. Hull, M.D. - St. Paul |
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The Food and Drug Administration has had the courage finally to approve irradiation of spinach and lettuce. It's about time. Many people got sick during the eight years that the FDA dithered over this decision ("Your salad soon could be irradiated," Money, Friday). How devastated would you be if your child died from an E. coli infection that could have been prevented? Since the Jack in the Box outbreak brought the E. coli problem to national attention 15 years ago, government and industry have worked to reduce E. coli contamination. They have had some success, but their target has been wrong. Reduction implies that some contamination is still OK. When lives are at stake, no level of contamination with these deadly bacteria is acceptable. Outbreaks continue. This year, we have had E. coli outbreaks from romaine lettuce in Washington and millions of pounds of ground beef recalled in several states. Both outbreaks could have been prevented by irradiation. It may be late, but let's applaud the FDA. Now it's time for the food industry to protect our children by routinely irradiating ground beef, lettuce and spinach. |
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Editorial Comment: Safer Salad; New York Times; Editorial (August 28, 2008): |
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Add fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce to the shortlist of foods that companies can zap with radiation to kill off many dangerous pathogens. With concerns about food-borne illnesses rising ó tainted spinach and lettuce in 2006 sickened hundreds of people and killed several ó the Food and Drug Administration has wisely approved the use of ionizing radiation to kill dangerous bacteria and extend the shelf lives of these vegetables. Consumers often cringe at the very mention of radiation, but the technology is a safe way to eliminate the threat posed by E. coli, salmonella and listeria in the food supply. The F.D.A., the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association all attest to the safety of irradiated foods. NASA has long fed irradiated meat to astronauts. The F.D.A. has already approved irradiation of meat, poultry, spices, oysters, clams and mussels with no noticeable adverse effect on the small minority of consumers willing to try the products. Some consumer advocates contend that irradiation could lower the nutritional value of lettuce and spinach and create toxic chemicals within them. But the F.D.A., after a careful review, found little to worry about. The overwhelming majority of studies it reviewed showed no evidence of toxicity. Nor were nutritional values significantly affected. Although some vitamins could be reduced by irradiation, the small losses would have little or no impact on total dietary intake of the vitamins. Read More at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/opinion/28thu3.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |
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| Editorial Comment: And The E. coli O157:H7 Beat Just Goes On :BEEF Magazine (August 2008): | |||
| According
to Virginia health officials, an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
that hit a Boy Scout camp in Goshen may be linked to contaminated
ground beef. A total of 73 camp attendees have reported illness,
21 children have been lab-confirmed with E. coli O157:H7,
and eight Virginia scouts have required hospitalization. Virginia health officials reportedly confirmed on Monday that beef taken from the Boy Scout camp tested positive for the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria, though the investigation is continuing into other potential sources of infection. On Wednesday, USDA announced a recall of 153,630 lbs. of frozen ground beef products produced by S&S Foods LLC, an Azusa, CA firm, due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. Meanwhile, in Massachusetts this week, health officials announced at least six people were sickened by E.coli O157:H7, with beef also the suspected source. State officials say the source of the illness hasnít been identified but the cluster of illnesses, with the victims ranging in age from three to 60 years of age, appear to be caused by the same strain of the bacteria found in patients from several other states. Itís another black eye for the industry, already stung by a 5.3-million-lb. recall in June of beef products potentially contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and produced by Omaha-based Nebraska Beef Ltd. Consumers could add that to this spring's 134-million-lb. recall from the Hallmark fiasco in Chino, CA. Or the other little recalls without the scale sufficient to capture national attention that have permeated our industry this year. Year 2007 was bad enough ó more than 20 recalls tallied to more than 30 million lbs. of beef products. The largest was the Topps incident (22 million lbs.), but the list included plenty of other well-known names ó American Food Group with 95,000 lbs.; Cargill Meat Solutions Corp., 845,000 lbs.; United Food Group, 5.7 million lbs.; PM Beef Holdings, 17,500 lbs. See the list at: www.fsis.usda.gov/fsis_recalls/Recall_Case_Archive_2007/index.asp. The Food Marketing Institute's ìU.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2008î survey found that in 2007, 66% of shoppers ñ down from 82% the year before ñ were confident that the food they buy at the grocery store is safe. This figure fluctuates with what's in the news, of course, but the survey illuminates a growing uncertainty among consumers about food safety that, like nervous cattle, can blow into a stampede with just the right spark. The survey also points out that 53% of consumers think food-safety problems are most likely to occur at food processing and manufacturing plants. That figure was 30% in 2005, and 45% in 2007. Food-borne illness is an issue the U.S. beef industry has wrestled with for way too long, and with considerable damage to our reputation. While the industry continues to pile more ñ and increasingly elusive ñ research dollars into developing incremental remedies for the nightmare of E.coli O157:H7 contamination of ground beef, the silver bullet for the problem ñ irradiation ñ basically just sits on the shelf. And all the while, the industry admits all its work is unlikely to ever add up to the kill step that irradiation provides. Cattlemen's organizations and processors all say they're behind irradiation ñ with policies of support on their books that they trot out when queried ñ but they continue to hide behind the skirt that consumers won't accept irradiation. A wealth of research, however, shows that ñ with education ñ 85% of consumers will embrace the technology. Still, the industry dithers, hems and haws over the other 15% ñ many of them likely non-meat eaters. |
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| FSIS to hold public meeting regarding beef irradiation petition; Ann Bagel Storck; Meatingplace.com (August 24, 2008): | |||
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USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service
announced it has scheduled a public meeting about what action
it should take regarding a petition from the American Meat Institute
that asks FSIS to recognize the use of low penetration and low
dose electron beam irradiation on the surface of chilled beef
carcasses as a processing aid. AMI submitted the petition in
2005. To view the petition, click
here. |
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| Nebraska Beef, Ltd. Expands E. Coli; BEEF Magazineís Cow Calf Weekly (August 15, 2008): | |||
The new
total for Omaha-based Nebraska Beef Ltd.ís product recall
is 1.36 million lbs., up from the 1.2 million lbs. originally
announced Aug. 8. The wording being used on this Class I recall
ñ such as ìinsufficient precautionsî and
ìinsanitary conditionsî ñ canít be
good for the firmís longterm business prospects. |
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Fear not: Recent salmonella outbreak shows benefits of irradiating many foods; Brownsville (Texas) Herald; (Sept. 1, 2008: |
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The Food and Drug Administration offered welcome news the other day: It's safe to make salsa again. An outbreak of salmonella, blamed first on tomatoes, then cilantro and finally chili peppers grown in Mexico and distributed through the Rio Grande Valley, had prompted FDA warnings against eating those popular food items for much of the summer. The agency finally announced a last week that the threat of infection from this threat of salmonella appears to be over. From April through last Thursday, more than 1,442 cases of the disease were found; at least 286 of the affected people were hospitalized and two died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such infestations, and the suffering (and death) that goes with it is increasingly preventable; the biggest obstacle being human perception. Commodity distributors have had the ability to irradiate food for decades. Public fear, borne largely from misperceptions, has kept the practice from becoming more common. That simple fact has led to the loss of billions of dollars worth of food, leading to shorter supplies and higher prices. The process is simple: food is hit with ionizing radiation that kills some or all bacteria, germs and even insects or larvae that might exist in the food and cause it to spoil. Reduced spoilage means less of the produce is ruined during processing and more of it makes it to market, and it lasts longer at home once it is purchased. That alone saves stores and consumers immeasurably through reduced waste and greater supplies that naturally lower prices. Even more money is saved because many of these products no longer need to be refrigerated. That eliminates a cost to the distributor that can be passed on to the consumer. Irradiation is deemed safe, and is done to varying degrees in more than 40 countries, including the United States. On an international level, it greatly aids in getting food to areas where it is desperately needed, such as Darfur and other places plagued with famine, war and other conditions. For this reason the World Health Organizations and International Atomic Energy Agency both endorse the procedure and vouch for its safety. Many hospitals routinely serve irradiated food since it is safer for people with weakened immune systems. For complete article go to: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/news_89653___article.html/food_administration.html |
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Turning up the food safety debate; Reuters; (August 29, 2008); By Terry Coles: |
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TORONTO: (Reuters) - Spinach, lettuce, sandwich meat -- the list of recalled foods continues to grow, and so does the debate on how to ensure the safety of what we eat. Last week, U.S. regulators turned the spotlight on a radiation treatment for food that turned the volume on the debate that much higher. Irradiated food has been treated with doses of ionizing radiation to kill potentially harmful bacteria, pathogens and insects, including causes of food-borne illnesses like E. coli and salmonella, just as pasteurization does for milk and pressure cooking does for canned foods. The World Health Organization concluded in 1992 that properly irradiated foods didn't pose a human health risk. Irradiation's most obvious benefit is its potential to reduce the number of food-borne illnesses suffered by American consumers, said Dr. Doug Powell ( barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu ), scientific director of the International Food Safety Network ( www.foodsafety.ksu.edu/ ) at Kansas State University. Last week, the FDA approved the treatment for spinach and lettuce. The decision comes at a time when consumers are increasingly aware of -- and concerned about -- the myriad ways that the food they eat can make them sick. There are about 76 million cases of food poisoning annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( here ). These include minor cases resulting in a few hours of sickness to more serious cases that can result in serious illness or death. A survey done by the Center for Food Integrity found that Americans worried more about the safety of their food than about global warming or the Iraq war, and less than 20 percent of those surveyed agreed that government agencies are doing a good job of ensuring food safety. No wonder. An E. coli outbreak tied to Jack in the Box in 1993 put food safety in the public eye, Powell said, and recent outbreaks like E. coli in spinach and listeria in Maple Leaf processed meats in Canada have kept it there. Considering the number of outbreaks and recalls related to food-borne pathogens, we should explore tools like irradiation that could help reduce illnesses and deaths, Powell said. Continued... http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersComService4/idUSDIS94610420080829 |
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I Want to Find Irradiated Salad Greens in My Local Grocery Store; CleanTechnica.com; By Rod Adams; (August 28, 2008); |
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SAN FRANCISCO: Call me a Popeye, but I like having fresh green salads for lunch or dinner. Unfortunately, it is sometimes risky to eat raw vegetables because of the risk of contamination by common bacteria like E. coli, salmonella and listeria. I have long wondered when it would be possible to purchase greens that had been irradiated to kill the bacteria without changing the texture, flavor or nutritional value. My wait is now closer to ending. On August
21, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use
of ionizing radiation at doses that will drastically reduce the
population of the target bacteria on spinach and iceberg lettuce
without harming the food. Gamma irradiation food processing plants can also be quite energy efficient. Though some processors use electrically powered devices to create gamma rays, there are others that use selected radioactive isotopes like Cobalt-60 or Cesium-137. Because of the risk of recontamination during handling and transportation, I suspect that irradiated foods will be sold in sealed bags. The technique of irradiating materials in sealed bags has been in use for decades with medical equipment. Read More |
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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 |
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| Food Irradiation Processors Alliance (FIPA) Website: http://www.fipa.us/ | |||
| Food Irradiation Principles and Applications is an excellent source of information about food irradiation. For information go to: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471356344,descCd-tableOfContents.html | |||
| Irradiated Foods Booklet Provides Science-based Information on Food Irradiation: The American Council on Science & Health booklet on irradiated foods can be downloaded from: http://www.acsh.org/publications/booklets/irradiated2003.html . | |||
| Food Irradiation Research and Technology published by Institute of Food Technologies Press and Blackwell Publishing is now available. To order your copy phone (515) 292-0140 or 1-(800) 862-6657. You may order online from Blackwell Publishing at: http://www.blackwellprofessional.com/ | |||
| To download the new American National Cattlewomen(ANCW) food irradiation brochure go to :../../../Irradiation/Brochure 2-18-04.pdf | |||
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