Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site shark.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ucbvax!ucbcad!tektronix!orca!shark!hutch From: hutch@shark.UUCP Newsgroups: net.cooks,net.veg,net.med Subject: Re: irradiated food Message-ID: <544@shark.UUCP> Date: Thu, 23-Feb-84 17:20:32 EST Article-I.D.: shark.544 Posted: Thu Feb 23 17:20:32 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 25-Feb-84 04:03:39 EST References: <1550@tekig1.UUCP>, <588@pyuxqq.UUCP> Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR Lines: 45Open letter to Pat Iurilli - First, you probably mean cobalt-60, not Cobol-60, which would only annoy the bacteria and provide a great place for the bugs to live. 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! Nobody was ever told that DES, Thalidomide, etc. were HARMLESS. There were marketing concerns which tried to pass them off as SAFE. You can't blame deliberate malfeasance on the part of the pharmaceutical concerns on "the scientific community". Furthermore, it is NOT "the same scientific community" and that kind of generalization merely shows that your reaction is an emotional one (presumably against the Evil Nuke) rather than a reasoned one. Chemical and drug effects are one thing, but radiation is another. You can measure radiation EASILY. They can tell that the food isn't MORE radioactive than it started by checking it with a Geiger counter. Therefore, the only way that you would have to worry about the food being made dangerous is if it were to pick up some chemical contaminant from the conveyors. Or if quality control at the processing plant were to be shown to be inadequate. Incidentally, if you really want to be revolted, try visiting a vegetable canning plant. You will never want to eat cream style corn again, not to mention beans. The process of radiation-sterilizing food has been around for about twenty years now. I recall reading about it in sixth grade in the Weekly Reader. There has been plenty of time to discover any potential problems. None have surfaced, and radiation-strilized foods are more energy-efficient, since they don't require major refrigeration. That advantage far outweighs many other disadvantages. Hutch