So worldwatcher, do you think they are sprinkling cobalt90 on our food?

Hi Lexi,

You made a good point about trusting government standards.
Years ago X-rays were deemed safe at a certain level. Later that was adjusted to a much lower and safer level.
Problem is it takes many years for enough research to give definitive answers.

A friend who is an eye surgeon said that although laser treatment has been used to correct vision for years now, he and his colleagues steer clear of it, because he feels there still haven't been enough years to evaluate the long term effects. They stick with wearing glasses.

Yes, irradiation kills some bacteria and improves shelf life. As Tony pointed out it's similar to turning off a light. However, it doesn't alter the fact that the food has been exposed to radiation, and while we are told that there is no residue, and that it is a safe procedure,I find it hard to believe that there is no residual effect, and need more than to be told it's safe.

After reading various articles on the subject of food irradiation, it appears that different countries have established differing 'safe' levels. I don't find that a comforting thought either.
Food irradiation depletes many of the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need.

Then there is the problem of waste disposal, and the half life of the waste.

It appears that the real beneficiaries of this method are the nuclear energy producers.

Tony,

Irradiation doesn't need to pass toxicity tests as it is classified as a process, not an additive.

There have been adverse findings that irradiation produces free radicals, new chemicals are produced, and in fact it can actually increase clostridium botulinum if it is already present in the food treated this way.
Being non-selective, it destroys all beneficial to our bodies,bacteria too.

It also increases production of toxic aflotoxins [present in nuts, grains, fungi etc.] which are extremely potent carcinogens.

I accept that the medical profession uses irradiation on instuments which occasionally have been used in treatment for some people, but that is rather different than using it on food which we eat on a daily basis.

Many of the vital vitamins and minerals we need are depleted or lost, and studies have shown an increase in stillbirths when subjects were fed irradiated wheat.

As no maximum safe limits have yet been established,is it safe to assume that this is really an experiment on us?

Are the benefits worth it? Well maybe to the nuclear plants who have a way to use some of their waste. And after irradiating our food, what happens to the spent material, which has an extremely long half life?

You are obviously convinced that irradiated food is safe. I am equally convinced that it is harmful, and yes, I do still regard it as poisoning our bodies.

Bugsy,

No, I'm not that much of a whacko.
Maybe the statement should have been amended to say that this is the material used for irradiation. And no, I don't think [in the extremely unlikely event there was a severe accident at the plant] that we are ingesting it. But I do believe that this method of preserving food is harmful, and unnecessary. I've given the reasons in another post.

We have managed to live very well without our food being radiated. I fail to see that the benefits of increased shelf life are great enough to warrant it - forget the increased expense of treating the food this way - passed on to the consumers naturally.

And as we know cobalt 60 is a product of nuclear reactors, I'll also say I'm against those too. Think a lot of Japanese people would now agree with me.

For the ordinary people in Australia and many other western countries, this last century has probably been the best era in recent history, and we've been fortunate to have some new technologies we'd now find it hard to live without. For me, irradiation is not one of them.

WW,

The food that is irradiated never comes in contact with radioactive material, the food is subjected to gamma rays which is like a high engery light beam which sterilizes the food by disrupting the chemical processes in living tissue.

The irradiated food is indistinguishable after the process other than the bacteria being dead. I am certainly unaware of any reputable research indicating any adverse effects.

I majored in atomic chemistry at high school. %99.9 of the populace couldn't even tell you correctly what irradiation of an organic substance means. I get tired and frustrated of people who have complete access to the net, not taking the time to research it fully and draw correct conclusions. Radiation is spontaneous emmision, Irradiation is bombardment of a substance with specific electromagnetic rays designed by frequency to target harmfull organic substances without causing damage to the host of those substances.
I can't wait to buy food that has a shelf of 12 months instead of 12 days and have that food deficient in nutrents of less than %20 - I can live with that.