Pros and Cons of Food Irradiation

It also destroys E. coli 0157:H7. Many of the dangerous germs that cause food poisoning -- such as E. coli and Listeria -- have proven stubbornly hard to kill by any other means. "Irradiating certain foods, especially red meat, translates into fewer people getting sick and dying from food poisoning -- particularly children and the elderly, who may be more vulnerable to these bacteria" (Holcomb 14). Irradiation, used on strawberries, retained their quality for over two weeks and can kill or sterilize all the developmental stages of insect pests in grain. Food Irradiation is not a cure-all for food problems. Proper handling and storage by the consumer are still important. The USDA estimates that the financial gains from food irradiation in extended shelf life, reduced cases of food poisoning and reduced insect infestation are twice the costs. For every dollar spend on food irradiation the average consumer would see two dollars in savings.
             The other side to the Irradiation battle is that: .
             Ionizing radiation causes chemical changes in the structure of cell wall components, whereby cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectin are irreversibly cleaved. As a result the cell walls become leaky and calcium is released in proportion to the irradiation dose. This occurs up to 6 kGy. At higher doses up to 80% of calcium is lost. This calcium loss plays an important role in the softening of fruit and other plant tissues (vegetables). Because of this overall tissue softening irradiated produce is much easier damaged in transit than their unirradiated counterparts. (Eaton 34).
             Irradiated fruits transported over some distance like other normal fruit, arrived crushed and bruised and were unacceptable. .
             The Wantage Research Laboratory is a major nuclear facility in the UK. The push for food irradiation has been believed to always come from the nuclear establishment. The idea was and is to use nuclear waste as radiation source in food irradiators.