Irradiated food

[Stinky The Clown]

I posted the other day in praise of dried mangonies. And nothing's changed. I still love 'em. But I just learned they're irradiated. It seems the US has been helping other countries get their agricultural products to our markets by irraditating them to allow them to travel better. The Phillipine mangonie industry is one of them.

I know the EU has been allowing irradiated foods for years - indeed encouraging it. From all I've read, its pretty safe.

What does everyone else think about this?

[anitar1]

1. I have never supported irradiated foods, but I realize

they have made their way into the markets. The bill that is coming up in congress will eradicate ANY labeling on foods. Which will open the door in this country to irradiate at will. This is a fight that has been ongoing for years in this country. But, I will eat the mangoes I have, but will not buy anymore of the dried fruits.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. I'm not challenging here, just asking ......

Why will you not buy any more (now known to be) irradiated foods?

I think that labelling bill is awful. I **want** to know what's my foods, including all the stuff now required on current labels. In fact, I want even more clear labels.

But irradiation, it seems, leaves no trace of its having been done, does not change the basic food one iota, and is, in fact, an excellent way to preserve foods. It just seems to me that it would be the same as requiring a label to say "processed to 150°F" on canned food or "Baked at 400°F" on bread.

Again, not challenging, just asking. And I freely admit that I may not have a complete understanding of the latent impact of irradiating food products.

[Duer 157099]

2. What would the problem be?

I don't get it. Plus, I have an interesting story about an alleged origin of that technology...

[Warpy]

7. There was a lot of concern when they first started

about ionizing radiation and what it would do to protein chains.

Nearly all the dried herbs and ground spices in the market these days are irradiated. I know because when I was peddling health foods, we had one hell of a time finding suppliers who grew and dried their own and didn't irradiate. Non irradiated dried herbs especially are prone to hatching wildlife, so it meant we needed a rapid turnover on the stuff when we got it. Here, I just freeze it.

Now we have no idea what is irradiated and what isn't on the supermarket shelves. Health food stores are pretty vigilant about using suppliers who specify that the food is not irradiated.

The FDA has caved to industry and refused to allow us to know what's irradiated and what isn't, what's GM and what isn't, and that should be a scandal that has everybody up in arms. It won't affect sales, but we the public have a right to know. End of rant.

[Duer 157099]

8. I guess I always associated radiation with DNA damage

not protein damage. Although... I guess if one considers what a sunburn is... OK I guess there is protein damage.

But is it something to worry about ingesting? I guess it could be, depending on what the specific damage is... hmmmm now you've got me thinking more about this.

[Warpy]

9. Damaged DNA isn't the problem

because hydrochloric acid in our stomachs will do the job anyway. Slightly denaturing proteins is also not a problem since cooking and digestion both do that job. Radiation kills bacteria and vermin and that's why it's used.

It's more a right to know thing, IMO. Denying people the right to choose to avoid Frankenfoods is obscene. Would I choose to avoid them completely? Probably not, I dislike having things fly out of the spice jar at me. However, I do want the knowledge to be able to choose.

[Duer 157099]

10. I agree with right to know, all the time

But I'm getting interested in the chemical aspect now.

I've forgotten the details of what radiation can do to proteins/peptides/amino acids, but I can imagine scenarios where it could be bad. For example (and I'm just making this up as illustration, have no idea if true or possible): what if the radiation caused a minor change in an amino acid, like a hydroxyl group is oxidized or reduced, or if sulfurs become crosslinked in various ways, and then those amino acids go on to being incorporated into new proteins that are made, and the new conformation with the mutated amino acid is harmful in some way. Then I can see it could be bad.

Think about prion proteins, the causative agent in Mad Cow -- these proteins are able to cause their own replication! What if such mutant proteins were to result from the irradiation and we unleash a new horrible disease?

Just thinkin' out loud

[anitar1]

12. Just looked at this thread again and am reading all

the posts. I became aware of this quite a few years ago when industry had plans to build lots of plants for irradiation here in the west. I read everything I could find about it and am sad to say, I cannot remember a lot of it, but it did not sound good. I don't think most of the industry knows what damage can occur.But some scientests were against it for some of the resons you mentioned. There were actually protests years ago about this. But , things have changed and we do not know anymore what is on the shelf. Fortunately, I live in an area where I have access to organic, non treated foods. . I try to buy most of my food from these people.I do not like the idea of everything being secret.We do have a right to know what we are eating.Everything has been done very quietly since the protests, and it looks like it has succeeded . I do not know if Penzy's spices are irradiated but I know the others are. Will have to inquire.One of the reasons for irradiation, is that food can stay on the shelf for ages without spoiling so that benefits the grocers.I try to avoid GM foods also.

[mike_c]

4. it just kills the bacteria and prevents spoilage...

...it adds nothing to the food itself, so it's far better IMO than adding preservatives to retard spoilage (some preservatives do other things, so they might still be added). I've never understood the objections other than those regarding the general handling of radioactive materials in industrial settings, but alternatives to Co⁶⁰ gamma sources exist now, so even that need not be a safety problem. The Organic Consumers Organization claims that irradiated food only "appears safe" but that it is depleted in nutrients and enzymes. I've never seen any credible evidence to back this claim, or that irradiated food is any worse than food preserved by other means, and properly irradiated food is certainly safer and less modified than many of the alternatives, IMO. Its also better environmentally since many sealed irradiated foods don't require nearly as much energy intensive storage (e.g. refrigeration).

[Stinky The Clown]

5. That's kinda my take on the issue, too ......

Other than being a source of industrial accident potential, I don't see a down side. Most of all, I like the fact that it reduces preservatives that are, otherwise, just plain old adulterants.

edit to add .... I never considered the energy reduction, but that's a good point.

[Warpy]

11. Exactly, the whole foods people are big on "can be" and

"might" but awfully short on hard science. So far, there is absolutely no evidence that irradiated food is altered in a way that causes harm. That may be because studies are not being funded or it may be because the data exonerated the process.

My only objection is the ban on labeling, which is one of my objections to GM food.

[troubleinwinter]

6. I personally have nothing against irradiated foods...

I think it is a benefit. But I see nothing whatever wrong with labeling them, so that each can make the choice.

[anitar1]

13. Just to add to my post above, I did google irradiation and

found quite a bit of info that refreshed my memory. Dr. Helen Caldicott had some interesting things to say about it , among others. It is really a personal choice for me. Not sure why the food supply has to be adulterated. It must be for our safety. sarcasm

[mike_c]

14. that's just it-- irradiation doesn't "adulterate" food-- just the opposite

It kills the bacteria that cause spoilage without adding anything to the food itself, and since the food is sealed, it remains sterile until the seal is broken. The alternatives are to add biocidal preservatives (yuk), heat treat and can (changes texture, nutrients, etc), or store at low temp (high energy requirement).