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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: 45




Open 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