2014-12-29

some food sanitized with nuclear radiation

7.2: news.pol/healthcare/food is now sanitized with nuclear radiation:
summary:
. radiation virtually cooks food;
so it's not easy to tell what's fresh;
there is a label you can see
that tells you your food is not fresh .
todo:
what does "not fresh" mean?
is irradiation denaturing proteins or oxidizing vitamins?

greenmedinfo.com:
. the FDA presently supports and actively promotes
the use of cobalt-60 culled from nuclear reactors
as a form of "electronic pasteurization"
on all domestically produced conventional food.
They claim it makes the food "safer."
The use of euphemisms like "food additive" and "pasteurization"
to describe the process of blasting food with
inordinately high levels of gamma radiation
can not obviate the fact that the very same death rays
generated by thermonuclear warfare to destroy life
are now being applied to food to "make it safer."

fda`Why Irradiate Food?
Irradiation can serve many purposes.
Prevention of Foodborne Illness – irradiation can be used to
effectively eliminate organisms that cause foodborne illness,
such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Preservation – irradiation can be used to
destroy organisms or inactivate [enzymes]
that cause spoilage and decomposition
and extend the shelf life of foods.
Delay of Sprouting and Ripening – irradiation can be used to
inhibit sprouting (e.g., potatoes)
and delay ripening of fruit to increase longevity.
Sterilization – irradiation can be used to sterilize foods,
which can then be stored for years without refrigeration.
How Is Food Irradiated?
There are three sources of radiation approved for use on foods.
Gamma rays are emitted from radioactive forms of the element
cobalt (Cobalt 60) or of the element cesium (Cesium 137).
Gamma radiation is used routinely to
sterilize medical, dental and household products
and is also used for the radiation treatment of cancer.
X-rays [may be used];
Electron beam is similar to X-rays
and is a stream of high-energy electrons
propelled from an electron accelerator into food
[ these are the free radicals you were warned about, right? ]
What Foods Have Been Approved for Irradiation?
Shell Eggs
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Lettuce and Spinach
Spices and Seasonings
Seeds for Sprouting (e.g., for alfalfa sprouts)

FDA requires that irradiated foods bear the
international symbol for irradiation.
Look for the Radura symbol:

along with the statement "Treated with radiation"
or "Treated by irradiation" on the food label.
Bulk foods, such as fruits and vegetables,
are required to be individually labeled
or to have a label next to the sale container.
FDA does not require labelling of individual ingredients
in multi-ingredient foods (e.g., spices) .

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