I want to buy irradiated food. Why is it so damn hard to find?

It kills e-coli and other toxic organisms. Why should I worry about contaminated fresh spinach when 2 seconds of treatment will eliminate the problem?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

food labelled as "cold pasteurized." I think that's been a legal label since '02.

Maybe that's changed.

:D

lettuces aren't generally irradiated. It changes the color and the texture.

He couldn't discern any difference. Either way, I'd like to have the opportunity to judge for myself.

Be aware that irradiated foods may have decreased nutritional values. Also, irradiation will not affect some bacteria (like the one that botulism), viruses, or prions.

Wash your food!

:-)

Thanks.

of how to create a problem and then use the same recipe to devise the solution instead of examining the root causes of the problem. At best irradiated foods are devoid of proper nutrients at worse they are cancerous. But whatever go for it.

We are so lost. Americans in particular are so utterly divorced from the source of their food and haven't any idea of where the food comes from let alone the agricultural techniques used to bring that food to their table.

The Technological Fix=the idea that all problems (even social problems) have technological solutions
for example, if automobiles cause unacceptable pollution, add more technology to the automobile to reduce the pollution (instead of substitution public transportation).

Do we solve a problem like water shortages by persuading people not to water their lawns or not have lawns or by increasingly expensive technological systems to bring water from someplace else? (Techno-Utopia we seek may be mere illusion)

Henry Ford: "We shall solve the city problems by leaving the city."

"Americans in particular have often seen technological progress as the surest basis for progress in general, and have tended to believe that technological solutions to problems are less painful than solutions that require political or social changes." (Rudi Volti, Society and Technological Change, 3rd edition, p. 16)

Irradiated fruits and vegetables benefit the packer and grocer, not the farmer or consumer. The consumer receives an inferior product that appears fresh, but has depleted vitamins and enzymes.

Gamma rays with specific energies normally come from the spontaneous disintegration of radionuclides. Naturally occurring and man-made radionuclides, also called radioactive isotopes or radioisotopes, are unstable, and emit radiation as they spontaneously disintegrate, or decay, to a stable state. The radionuclide used almost always for the irradiation of food by gamma rays is cobalt-60. It is produced by neutron bombardment in a nuclear reactor of the metal cobalt-59, then doubly encapsulated in stainless steel “pencils” to prevent any leakage during its use in a radiation plant. Cobalt-60 has a half-life of 5.3 years. This technology has been used routinely for more than thirty years to sterilize medical, dental and household products, and it is also used for radiation treatment of cancer. Radioactive substances emit gamma rays all the time. When not in use, the gamma ray “source” is stored in a pool of water which absorbs the radiation harmlessly and completely. To irradiate food or some other product, the source is pulled out of the water into a chamber with massive concrete walls that keep any rays from escaping. Medical products or foods to be irradiated are brought into the chamber, and are exposed to the rays for a defined period of time. After it is used, the source is returned to the water tank.


Only certain radiation sources can be used in food irradiation. These are the radionuclides cobalt-60 or cesium-137 (used very rarely); X-ray machines having a maximum energy of five million electron volts (MeV); or electron machines having a maximum energy of 10 MeV. Energies from these radiation sources are too low to induce radioactivity in any material, including food.

Radiation dose is the quantity of radiation energy absorbed by the food as it passes through the radiation field during processing. It is measured in Gray (Gy) or in rad (1 Gy = 100 rads). International health and safety authorities have endorsed the safety of irradiation for all foods up to a dose level of 10,000 Gy (10 kGy).

http://uw-food-irradiation.engr.wisc.edu/Process.html

How Irradiation Works

Food is irradiated using radioactive gamma ray sources, usually radioactive cobalt-60 or .cesium-137, or high-energy electron beams. After packaging and being put into large metal boxes, the foods are placed on conveyor belts that move past the radiation sources. The materials are hit with the equivalent of 30 million X-rays, (according to the Spring 1998 Food & Water journal). The industry

now uses cobalt-60 supplied by the Canadian company Nordion International, Inc. But the only isotope available in sufficient quantities for large-scale irradiation is cesium-137. When not in use the cobalt or cesium is lowered into cooling ponds.

In the process, which takes about 20 to 30 minutes, the gamma radiation passes through the food, killing all bacteria (helpful as well as harmful) and slowing decay but not leaving the food radioactive.

Irradiators are used on the meats at the end of the production line, after it is already sealed in packages. This is particularly important in ground beef, where bacteria can easily get beneath the surface during grinding. However the industry is lobbying for approval of irradiating unpackaged meats as well.

Cesium-137 is radioactive waste left in huge quantities from nuclear weapons production at Hanford in Washington State and Savannah River, South Carolina. A by-product of nuclear reactor operation, cesium-137 is an extremely hazardous isotope that is deadly for 600 years. It is watersoluble, which makes it terribly dangerous in the event of an accident. As radioactive waste, it is extremely expensive to store and keep out of the biosphere.

http://www.mindfully.org/Food/Irradiated-Food-Nuc-Weapon.htm

Collaborators in the food irradiation field, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, among others, tell us that food irradiation is just another way of preserving food to make it safe and wholesome - like pasteurisation, canning or freezing.Nothing could be further from the truth.You can pasteurise milk on your kitchen stove using a saucepan; heating, canning or freezing do result in some loss of nutrients, but cannot be compared to irradiation.

Exposure of food to specified Standards of irradiation smashes apart its chemical bonds, sending electrons flying. Scientific studies have shown the following results:
Increased chromosomal damage in animals and human; Increased frequency of cell mutations; Formation of mutant bacteria;
Increased frequency of tumours, reduced survival rate, and other health problems in animals; Increased carcinogens and other toxins in food, such as: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Octane, Butane, and Methyl Propane. (Benzene and formaldehyde are classified carcinogens); Formation of new and potentially dangerous compounds in foods called Unique Radiolytic Products, which have yet to be enumerated and identified. The higher the dose of radiation, the greater the number of U.R.P.s formed. One of these, 2-DCB, has recently been proven to cause cellular and genetic damage in human and rat cells; and FI causes the formation of free radicals.
Vitamin content is reduced by up to 96% depending upon the food item and other factors. Vitamins affected are A, B, C, E and K. Also, amino acids and polyunsaturated fats can be depleted. *

http://foodirradiationinfo.org/faq.html

I'll keep looking for it.

This kind of "solution" addresses the symptoms of a sick system and not the underlying causes.

There have been no long-term studies that I'm aware of to really look at what effects irradiated foods could have. It depletes vitamins and minerals. It disguises the age of foods. The URPs that are formed in irradiation are particularly troubling--we don't even have a clue as to what they are or what they could do.

I think it's still true that labels are required for first users only; companies that make processed foods aren't required to label irradiated foods in their products.

It's pretty bleak.

(they??) 'fix' the underlying causes. I like very rare hamburgers. I'm willing to risk a few totally unproven allegations about irradiation against the very real danger of bacteria that has been well-documented. It's a trade-off I would prefer to reserve for myself. I guess I should have more reliance on the government, though. What was I thinking? :eyes:

It's like coming up against a brick wall.

It's really amazing that folks compartmentalize these things and can place trust in say the FDA or USDA whilst being very distrustful of their government in areas which impact them even less directly.

People in the future are going to look at the american food system as one of the most unhealthy ways to bring nutrients into the body that could possibly be devised. Industrial agriculture is a disease and GMO's and irradiation and antibiotics and blah blah blah are all part of the same system. It's pretty obvious.

And it's unfortunately not as if there's much difference any more. I'm just looking for an alternative to a KNOWN danger and go with a -possible but unproven one-. It's a crapshoot no matter which we choose. ;-)

And yes they are one and the same. I'm lucky to be able to track directly almost all of the food I eat and most of that is near where I live with no chemicals or antibiotics. That doesn't mean it is labeled Organic which is also being swallowed but it is just people growing food in healthy ways. That's alot of work. And it is good work.

So here is a story that relates to your OP. True story.

I'm listening to this program on NPR that was dealing with the topic of overusing antibiotics in livestock and concerns with this. Well the whole conversation was placed within the framework of how to deal with this problem.

A woman calls in and tells them she is a small dairy farmer and describes her practices and how due to her practices there is no need for antibiotics for her livestock. Well she gives a bit more info and essentially blows the whole show out the door as she reveals how fraudulent is the premise upon which the show is focused.

There are so many examples of this in our society. Not just irradiation or GMO's but also social and economic arrangements.

My guess is that you are trying to use your critical thinking to solve this problem, as we all do, but what is missing in this case is the proper examination of the underlying assumption.

In solidarity.

And especially good health. Everything matters.

I can't understand how the people who push for them to be in everything from cattle feed to dishwashing detergent fail to realize they're just accelerating the increase of resistant organisms. Well, actually I DO understand it...make a bunch of money real fast and fuck the future. :grr:

I guess what I'm saying is if we can't (or won't) fix the problem, the only mitigation is to address the symptoms. It's a damn stupid approach but isn't it better than nothing? Hell, I don't really know any more.

One thing I think about is who am I promoting if I participate in an endeavor. And then what am I promoting through my daily life. Very difficult to know. Everything has become so distanced and abstracted.

either. Just clean food from a healthy and supported farm in the community where you live -- so you can see who is growing your food and how they are doing it.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) offers a way for every human being to be directly involved in the care and healing of the earth, while also ensuring a supply of clean, healthy food for their families and their neighbors.

http://www.chiron-communications.com/farms.html

So I'll keep looking.

That's the Swamp Thing! <geek off>

:D

The truth comes out at last!

but I decided it wasn't worth the effort. So I tell you (under oath if you wish) I really don't know who the hell that person is, or was. :D

(I shit you not a pound)

God, that movie was awful.

Buy local food. Find a farmers market and buy stuff "In Season".

That means, in case you have forgotten, buying spinach in the spring and summer, potatoes in the autumn, eating carrots in the winter.

If you know your local farmer, you won't have to worry so much about the "safety" of your food.

in the spring and share the harvest...when it happens and with no money changing hands! I eagerly await it. :D

In the meantime, check out the farmers markets.

I wasn't trying to be snarky, by the way.

Have you read "Omnivores Dilemma" by Michael Pollan? Excellent book about our food supply.

:)

I too like a burger that isn't cooked dry. But I haven't eaten a medium-rare burger in years because of e-coli concerns. We recently decided to find a local organic beef farmer and purchase 1/4 steer (along with 4 other families). We arranged to have it slaughtered and butchered by an excellent local meat cutter. We thought it would be really expensive, but wanted to go ahead anyway for quality and environmental reasons. It turns out that by the pound it was cheaper than beef in packages at the supermarket and LOTS cheaper than organic beef at the co-op. Our beef will be ready in about a week and I'm looking forward to my first rare burger in half a decade.

venison this time of year, but things happened and we didn't have a chance to kill a deer this past season. I confess, though, I have occasionally bought a chuck or round roast and ground it myself for burgers. We don't worry much about large cuts and so far nobody has gotten sick. :D

But it's labor-intensive so it isn't something we do regularly.

label what is GM mutant, or cloned, or chemical saturated, it would be a giant step forward.

Right now the republicon crony corporo-regulators make sure none of these units of -food-product-crapola get labeled at all.

So no consumer has any choice -- irradiated or clean. No matter what you want, you cannot identify it. Big BUSHCO
and allied corporate crony republicons have made sure you will never know what you are really consuming .


SO SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN AND EAT YOUR MYSTERY FOOD-PRODUCT RATION UNITS, YOU NOISY PROLES.

Sheesh! You can't find it because you can't SEE it!

??