HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0212.177 1996-1998 PHONE 609-'1'1S-69B'~ JRN-UEE MUSIC & WEI99 ENTERPRISES, INC. 361 PBl
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The brave new world of food irradiation
The <omros~ersy over imadianon of food conunucs. (u propo~ Some people claim Nat me substances produced by irradia•
nano eay Jim thn process can Dest be cemputd tv pastturiaa• uon arc like those created by ample heating or broiling-but no
uon-a tart Jnd effectn~c wry to kill organisms rhri damage one knows. tiewer sc:evtife mehnlquts azt now ava{IaDlt to
footle and/or make people J.-and dsm n wall <us down on +aulatt and rest for some loos a10 of Nese unlylown compounds
s pvdagc and Thus perhaps make the food supply ga fu Mtr. ?t Jnd do the proper studlcs. Surely Both amdia should b< done
upponrnq say thu +rtad~u~un s s+mpl.' acosuy aed unncceaary before food modiston becomes widespread. Wt do know Nat
extra skp in IooJ procnnng well a J pod nu al danger so De Sld<5 ahem Gons m 1lavar and IeaNrc. trradbdon can cause
human hwlth and J clcu :rural to th<<nvironmenc. \a'hen and d vnamm losses. p¢rtmululy o(numms C Intl A, held tirotene.
+Rad181ed tell lt$, vcg<IDDH, and me11t appear m v'VU! OCJI and the B vLLaJNn>
mazku. should you buy [hem or pass Ncm up' Jg it etfet[f~t'
Im¢dmuon means sr<m~nq foods warn gamma radmuon (ram yes. al high levels ImadUnpn certaJNy kills microorganisms.
rad+oacnvr con"tr or ces+um yr other sources pruJucmg X-rays -
Prnponenls of tmad:aUVn od<n remind us that Atnencan atho~
Tn< Wlhng el tact on mac roorganums nsts wiN nit power of the nauu are sunliaW InadWt<dfood and that nospiOls lido Krved
rays. measured m "rods. -soon fur 'radunt <nr.gy JbwrDed.-' A
"gray" is 100 tads. and + "kdugrav' IOO.000 tads Onc lea logmv such foods so paucnU wills compromisc0 immune sys¢ms. Bus
moo fo0d6 cannot De u*adiaud ut such dude without some
will diuourage mmy mrcroorgamsms. and a c5 to B Wlogmys desenoretion. l[ all depends on Use snengsh of the dose, SuDpoK
will WII salmonella It lakes m even more powerful dose to kill ¢ ;nlcken boast had a mtWon salmonella Dacmria on it before
(ungt and vlnaseJ Rule ~~>f tnumn the s+mplcr ih<!I fc loon. the Irzadianon and 100 Wterward (That would meets rhos 99.99160!
butler h is w kAl won ndres:nn the salmonella Did Dien killed-wucD would cake a large OoKJ
Curren candtdJ¢s fir ~mdmuon ur Ircsn , rudu\e wU u I( she cyck<n bread wen Win tatted undemooked. the 100
suawbtmcs pouioes Ynd unite pe nsheble arms' puulV+~ anJ
sr afoodlwnere ,almontlla'a de~mtely a problem v+d pmt ~w salmaneUa would mccwe m a twWOn m only u: boon, and
kill o!f the paraa:e tnchma~ All In<s< foods. eace0l r+sn anJ an ybudy woo bed oleo tt wbu;d De joss as sick as wiN
shellLsh. na,e alrud)' Drcn approved Dy Ne Food and OrJ undercooked non-tnadoraC cnrcken The pointed that even wiN
Admmumuon iunrtJJ,aeon-though lcw irtJJNteJ ;UUJ, anJ Irtadia0on.you'U have to Dandle poultry and seafood as eareNlly
nv mews ha•c been of fc rca for salt Food produ:<rs art war. of as you da now. TLe poulvy industry, whKh hat rtceoJy been
consumer ru.upn Jmun; other problems. $e se rat ,Rln. ~n under foe for unaamlY/ pnences m proeesamg p(ann anQ lug
eluding Ylmne Ncw Vbrk and New lusty. have +irtaJf Mnn.? Ievtlt vl0acsena in chicktaa that reach ourmukeu. mightpm(er .
of impuseJ muralunmM en inaJia¢dlood5 Anualls, sent. JnJ so uredsaK poutry-Dot in !ia they would accomplish just as
Jfew omn,u,nniny produns ha•c DC<nlnadiakd for Taus. OJT much by el<ansdg up tMUplains.
Ihrac arc conwmcJ in suchsmWl yuanuuts roar JnY danycrs:bn Better tecBOOloey or just more?
might pose appear so be mmusc ale la Jradiation neceaaary' Agun, tDCrc's much to argot Dore.
However Nefira luudimJimwnplam.hush and opened by Necessaryfor wbu'On<hope for tbil procnsis Ni[it will cos
wmdlcawr of Flonda. Inc near Tampa, has Jlr<idy bacon down on loaf and waste, peMaDs coin make n;frigerauoo ODao-
irtadsahngandshlppmt+trJwbrmee Otherfuch maullauVm Iqt. UnJortupalely. WaDY901 beau lDecae in<9UnlrieaY99¢d
Jnd other :mdiJUd foods-ore likely en follow AI I socn rood, rbe wvAd Nat h¢ve almady mad +t. Not all foods beneCt tram
mud be lobeled wash an m¢::wmnally Jpprvvcd s. mbul Jnd iEr Inidtauon On a list of ]7 motor fruits, only v Denent Ilor
words -Trcmed wuh Rsdianon"Irradiated !nods creep! spue• <aample, banana. mingoe5. sVaw bemes, and figs1, while the
cannot be sold without the label Prepared foods that u•e ~rcadi• other Ig pnc lading peas. apples. aws (runs, and pineipplts+
Jttd pralucts Y> mgreJm nls are not reyu aril W iYTy the IJhel J<Narly spotl idler Wltf iRadIJUOa AccordlAg 19 N azvcle m
Questions about tmdiauon cJn be boiled dOwO to Utex The Bulletin of the aroma SurnnJU (SeptemDet 1990), propo~
Is the food safe mot" Is ~rradian nn c!fecuvc' Is it ne<n swy' Is nenb a( Irtadiauon "have not produced any Dro)ttd0nt of [he
the technolUY s sale" a teal tcpnonuc, or other, DtneGu of longer shelf li(a espe6¢Ily
lg irfedialed loud ge(< l0 eel'. .n a developed wunuy that has an aDYndant food Supply."
Th< anawv in th+s queum~ s Yn4nown. Of course. maoiao nn Tnougn se's also been clamed J+at 4redlaboa will make insea.~
does not make food radloacb ve. anv more Nan Dental X~m, odes and fungiades obsolete, there's some evidence chit <ertmn
make your jaw rad~owuve Ittadmstoa i5 classified Dv me gn,- foods may Dr mare vulnerobl<to th<ravages of lungs andimress
ernm<m as a food Jdda,vc-Dot )uu whit a adds w lnrgs Jnd ofrenrtadiaunn.
whate(fects these compounds have tin humans is noi.omphleh TAt real gaiety issue
andentouJ Bad iauvn damages the Daai< mobc ulm itrvcn;re m Finally. tD<«'+ :he issue of Ne prohferauon v( gd10atu wt
thefovd. Rea4ng new sub>Idnces. known a5 lrt<rJditJb, '~hJl mJ¢nalmuurem~,ronmCnl. In the •'ords n(Dr $heldon Ylugen
<an further inrgtcn the ,rahdpy of molwuks-The h+ghcr he uRne lnn'tneu at(Jldumiaaf Bervtlrv ")here art patenualls
dou olraduoon,;he mor<'ree radicals and new compounds Bw >eeous cnncems Jbuut:n<~aues of wasm disport!, engineenng
imdmi to !ar lire no: Jde GYJlev le>lyd the Inx+ur of Nest tJicn, nanspon of ndmaaive matenJ. production 01 new
compounds lrs ille gal w to s: !or ~oz+aty on humane until ao~opes. hmdlmg by poorly vmned p<r\onnel. Ind Others W<
t%pCPmCn6 wM Nimal3 Rrnl [J tr.dlQlf thJf )UCM Ir0.t WpUd na°cn'; even lnoug h: vt )cf ~ Tnr m0\r tCnOUt hYMan <t pouter
be sale In trsung food add mvn. IaDUraiwj an;mals are fed ,r.'he prndues vt irtaJ+viun comes no' from rot toad rtsel(but
abnormally high le„eb r"mp.:re~,t to whas humaro men: xtu~ trnm :he inJU'~au nn plJnis >boul JII plane now op<rve in :h<
ally ot)of poanual mxms-mJ Usen NcoreucJl models have iu CS,pnmJnly:o slen'.~+. mvJ„al <ampm<nl. Bunf forraampl<.
Ise made s0 apply tM resvhs :o humans Such smdlrs lire not JII me nanrsn', pou.trv were m bt ~mdtaad, lion@rds of new
been don<fvr uradlahvn. In acJJ. imJ:Y+eJ fooC has bc<+led w pianr, wuaW hRt'.v be bwlt. pusiny many dangers. Not she Iwn
animals. bw this moy not be Ur same ss mating wuh loge doa<a of these might ts<acnde ms and 4Ykagt-and cnocmous cle Jnup
o(a known addsu va Cutts incase any rad'usmn spills souk place
All tins so s[rawbemes will last a few mort.drtays. or rv m,aTke a~a
Sate p Gal pod rYr' ~i0~ai A4 T
H1b I(o. FNb Cep y
APR 2 4 1991 ~ resented rn,~
t6rii. iloggn teal. 7b: L'V
PHONE BBB-'1'15-969'1 JRN-LEE MUSIC 8 WEISS ENTERPRIBEB~INC. 361 P02
y.
2Jlarian $urros THE "b.W YORK TJMES, WEDNESDAY, AC' 'ST 96, 1991
HE story of food irradlulon American ASSOtlttlon n( Retired Per- Food safety A one consideration,
bears a sulking reaemDlance . ions and the A. F. L.•C.LO. have asked loss of nutrltnlt is another. Accord-
to the ilOry Of dllcone breast the A rlcuhure bepartment 10 wlth• Ing to lAt April Ieaue O! Nul rilion
Implants: proponents are .Ig- draw ~ta propObal until all the safety Action, a health newalelter published
noring the risks while promoting the queatloni are answered. Dy the Center for Science in the Pub-
bencllls. No one la sayingg that Irrodleted Ile Interetl, in one study the vhamin
the eruUai difference fi that many loods are radloacllve; they aren't. C tomcat of potataa was reduced by
sciemiste are trying w prevent ap- Bul the question that causes the moat d0 percent after the potatoes had been
provol of the Irradlatlon process until concern I9 whether Irradlatlon re- given a standard dose of radietlon. In
115 safety has been tested to every- solo In the formation of toxic cheml-
one's seUafatllon, Instead of letting It cols and other "radlolytlc" products, , `L~`ua,"',,~a';' .
go on the market Ilrst. The ~ubllc, treated when the bombardment of
¦Iways aqueaml9h when words con- the food with gamma rays breaks up
netted with ndloottlvlly are used, Is some of [he molecules. In the ,91a's, Is any level of
not rushing to embrace Irrodleted pn mrornel [ask Torre of the F.D.A.
foods Laat wiener, a rtore In Nonh estimated that 10 percent of these
Mlamt Beach, Fla., received wide- radlolytlc products might be unique
spread publicity when It put Irradiet• to Irradiated foods, Dut It concluded enzene Saf e
eJ str¦wberrles on the market, Out h that the amounts of such toxk theml~
is not clesr how well they sold. P cols that are formed Ilke Denune, to consume?
Irradiation le Nardi a new ro- which causes cancer -art too small
etas: ? has been around tar 00 years to bC slgnltlcent.
but its prominence In food rises with Not everyone agrees. In "Food Ir•
each Government decision that ed• radtallon: Who Wants Ill" Thorson lCrr»~a;: ^ x
vances Iic use. The Food and Drug Publlshera Inc., 1961), Tony Webb, '~o..
Admtnlstration Naa declared irradle- Tlm Lang end Kathleen Tucker another study, one-third the level oI
eon, which la the bombing of food write: "It Is safest to assume that radietlon permitted by the F.D.A. re•
with gamma rays, tote for preserv there le no safe level of exposure to doted thlamin levels In pork Dy 11
mg certain loods; the WOrlC Health such themlcals; anyy dose can cause Perttnl,andanormaldostoflrndla-
Organization also says Irradiated the In1Ual damage that develops Into tlon reduced thlamin levels In chicken
card presents no health risks. This a Confer." They add. "The tact that a breaiti by 6 percent. Vitamin E con•
year, the United Stoles Department chemltal change Is small does not tent was also affected.
of Agriculture published proposed ellminale the risk." Proponents of Irradfaton say vlta-
reguletions for Irradlating poultry, The F-D.A. based its approval of into losses fn trrad filed food ere tom•
end a food Irradlatlon plant has Irradlatlon on'only five or six animal parable to those that occur In cook-
upened m Florida. aludle9. It had some 1(10 to choose Ing. But many (pods that would be
But questions that have troubled Irom but fold all the rest were Irrodleted, Ilke poultry and pork.
sclcnusls and envlronmentallsts flawed. Dr. Donald 8. Lourla, Chair- would be cooked after irradlatlon,
a bout food IrradlelOn have never man of the department 01 preventive further depleling vitamin levels,
been answered iallSGflonly. No one medicine end community health at In "Ftrod Irndlalian: Who Wants
knows whether the protege creates the Umverslty of Medlclne end Den- It7" the authors also point out that
r~;,~r~^y~rspt:,;y;r`; li5try of New Jersey in Newark, sold SCIIIng Irradialtd food as fresh Is
' the few studies on which the agency deceptive because trolls end vogete-
rellyd were olio flawed. "Taken to• hies Irradiated or not -lose nutrl-
Irradiated gather," Dr. Lourls wrote In hli crl- Mts titer picking. A slx•week-old h
llqut, "Ihl3e studies could not possl. radiated elrawberry, (hough aFpeer
01 eatebllsh the safely of food Irro• Ing fresh, would have lets nutritional
Y value than a non•Irradlated suawber-
foodsmeet dlellaO. Indeed, two of the studies yy a few days old.
suggest the technology la not sate." Even though nuclear opponents do
There Is still another safety ques• not Ordinarily become involved in nu~
resistance. eon: the usual dose o1 radietlon does trlllon Issues, chit time they have,
not kill the bacteria that cause Dole- ilnce the rodloactlve lsotopet used to
Ilsm, a particularly vlrulern form of trradlate food se
food Isonin The bacteria that Do potentlsl prob•
Po 6 lemi to plant workers and people who
,':'%,ti~!e., r''$~",~}?t ~r{~,,;,?yi: caVSe of(-odors and flavors are killed, live nesr the plant. Nuclear oppo-
so in (hose taus where an odor might nenta lay food Irradlellon plants
warn of c Ilage. that safety mecha• would just add to the Increaseng rob
new themlcals at levels that may be nlsm would be one. I p
harmful, or whether Ne toil of nutrl- 6 lama of nuclear•waite dl9posa .
The May Issue of the Berkeley Dr. Shelden Margen, professor
cots from trradiatlon Is unacceptably Welineu Letter, published Dy Ne emeritus of ubllc health nutrlllon at
high, or to what extent adding more Unlverafty of Celllornla at Berkeley,
processing plane That use nuclear notes en article in the September Berkeley, sa d: "There are polentlal~
components Increases the rick of nu- pa00 issue of the Bulletin of the Atom- IY serious conterne about the issues
clear accidenu. Ic Sclentlsts that Says the proponents of waste dlspvial, engititering 9ekty,
The proponents of (pod Irradlatlon pl Irradla Uon "have not prbduced any lrowport of radioactive material,
ridicule these concerns. Opponents, proJecllons of the actual economic. or production Of new isotopes: handling
y poorly trained personnel and oth-
thty say, are Luddites, the same kind other, beneilts of longer shelf Ilfe,
of people who once opposed paslcur- aspeclally In a developed country that era we haven't teen thought of yet."
(zed milk. Proponents see the process hoe sn abundam food supply." The Because of consumer resistance lu
not only as a way to extend the shelf Wellness Leller gcea on to Say. Irradiated loods, many companies,
life of perlchaDlei Ilkt atrewberrles ^Thou h It's also been cl¦Imed that inGuding Kraft, Ctxtagra, Kellogg,
without uain ehemlcds, but also as a 6 A.& P. and Kentucky Fried Chicken,
wa to kill harmful bacteria Ilke the Irradlellon will make Insectlcldea have cold n0 to them. 50 have some
Y and funglc{dee obsolete. there's some states. New York and New Jersey
salmonella In poultry, a widespread evidence that certain foods maybe have moratorluma On the sale of Irra-
problem. (Recently 9 noncom rpVlr- more vulne ra Dle to the ravages Of
sisl method to kill salmonella has fungi and Insects alter Irradlatlon.,, dieted food, and Maine has an auP
right ban.
proven succeesful In testa. It involves
dipping me ca rcacses In a Dath of Senator Paulck J. Leahy, Dema•
oral of Vermom and chairman of the
water and triaodlum phosphate, a
chemical used m lood processing) Senate Agriculture Coen mittee, has
Groups as diverse as the Public naked IA! Agrlcullurp Depart meat to
Citizen's Heahh Research Group. the Oelermint Iht SalelY of Irredleted
looda before they ate ptrmiUed on
the market.