The Truth about Food: Why Irradiation is Not the Answer

In a flagrant insult to both jou
alism and nutritional science, 20/20`s John Stossel heavily touted irradiation - exposing food to radiation in order to kill any microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that may be present in the food - as the only way to ensure the safety of our food supply.

During a biased and unscientific segment entitled "Are Anti-Irradiation Watch Groups Making Our Food Less Safe?," Stossel reported that irradiation protects consumers from food poisoning by killing dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella and insinuated that consumer health groups are harming consumers by making them wary of irradiated food. What he failed to mention was that radiation destroys living enzymes in wholesome foods like spinach and strawberries, stripping them of their nutritional value. Considering that people don`t eat enough nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables to begin with, the last thing the food industry should do is make healthy foods less beneficial.

Unfortunately, because the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not have a firm grasp on the benefits of phytonutrients, it is in favor of irradiation. Sterilizing fresh produce will turn live foods into dead foods. While exposing fruits and vegetables to radiation will reduce the incidence of food-bo
e illnesses, it also reduces the healthfulness of these foods. The dangers of irradiation far outweigh the potential benefits.

Tainted Meat, Toxic Choicesr
Instead of "nuking" our food to prevent food poisoning, health officials should be urging people to make smarter food choices. There are approximately 75 million cases of food poisoning each year in the U.S. alone, and about 5,000 of these cases are fatal. The USDA has reported that 70 percent of food poisoning is caused by contaminated meat.

Fruits and vegetables don`t naturally harbor harmful bacteria like E. coli or salmonella. When produce becomes contaminated, it`s usually because animal manure was used to fertilize crops or it leaked into waterways. (Fruits and veggies can also be cross contaminated if they`re placed on the same surface as meat, or if they`re handled by someone who passes bacteria along through poor hygiene.)

Because food poisoning is commonly caused by contaminated meat, the USDA allows irradiated meat to be served to school children, who are particularly susceptible to food-bo
e illnesses. Serving children irradiated meat in order to prevent food-related illnesses is like giving them low-tar cigarettes and claiming that they`re healthier than regular cigarettes.

Meat is just not "safe" to eat; it can cause high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and weight problems. Meat can also contain antibiotics and hormones. Irradiating meat may give consumers the false impression that they are eating "clean" food. Some consumer watchdog groups even fear that meat companies may be less careful about removing fecal material because of the use of irradiation.

If the USDA allows healthy food to be irradiated, genetically manipulated, or otherwise "tampered with," we`ll have nothing left to eat but chemically-altered, nutrient-devoid, disease-producing, overly-processed junk. Then we`ll all have serious health problems that irradiation certainly can`t solve.