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From: pat@pyuxqq.UUCP (Pat M. Iurilli)
Newsgroups: net.cooks,net.veg,net.med
Subject: Re: irradiated food
Message-ID: <588@pyuxqq.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 21-Feb-84 23:00:13 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxqq.588
Posted: Tue Feb 21 23:00:13 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Feb-84 04:25:48 EST
References: <1550@tekig1.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway, NJ
Lines: 16

Apparently this process is used not only to increase shelf life but also as
a way of killing insects hidden in the food, thereby stopping the need for
contact pesticides like EDB.  Its widest use seems to be on fruit and produce.
The way it works is that the material is sent into a room on a conveyer belt
which contains a pool of water in the center.  Once inside, rods of
Cobol-60 are raised from deep in the pool and the material is moved around
the room by a circular conveyer belt, first near the ceiling, then near the
floor.  All scientific evidence is that this procedure is harmless, and does
not cause the material to become radioactive in any way, if you can believe
this.  Remember this is the same scientific community that told mothers that
DES, Thalidomide (sp?), etc. were harmless, until all those babies were born
deformed.  I see nothing wrong with nuclear harnessing for power and other
things, but not in my food!  It's too soon to determine if it is indeed as
safe as advertised.  Only time will tell...
Pat Iurilli Bell Communications Research Piscataway, NJ
{ihnp4,harpo}!pyuxqq!pat