Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site duke.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!duke!bcw From: bcw@duke.UUCP (Bruce C. Wright) Newsgroups: net.cooks,net.veg,net.med Subject: Re: irradiated food Message-ID: <4011@duke.UUCP> Date: Thu, 23-Feb-84 16:10:57 EST Article-I.D.: duke.4011 Posted: Thu Feb 23 16:10:57 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 24-Feb-84 06:52:11 EST References: <1550@tekig1.UUCP> Organization: Duke University Lines: 15 I won't bother discussing the charge that irradiated food is radioactive, that's been adequately exploded in previous articles. There *are* some health questions, however: the radiation produces some strictly *chemical* products as well. This is done primarily by providing sufficient energy (as heat?) to produce the products; in principle this could (as I understand it) be done by non-radioactive methods but isn't done in normal food processing. These are called radiolytic by-products & there is some debate as to their effects on health - and at the very least, they can in some circumstances produce an "off" taste to the food (such as a tinny taste). The last I knew (about 6 months ago), there was still considerable debate on this topic - it may be resolving itself by now. Bruce C. Wright