Irradiation

  • No confusion here: cook ground beef to 160F

    Posted: September 21st, 2011 - 10:30pm by Doug Powell

    bites.stick_.it_.in_.jpg

     As a Canadian citizen with permanent U.S. residency living in Australia, I get confused.

    Even with a language professor by my side, I can barely understand a damn word anyone says – especially the Canadians.

    Fellow Queenslander Pat Dignam also appears confused when he writes in the Irish Times that food irradiation “is routine in some countries, including the U.S., so eating rare hamburgers there is safe.”

    No. A small fraction of American ground beef is irradiated, and almost none of that is available at retail or food service.

    Mr. Dignam is correct when he says, “During the butchering process, the surface of cuts of meat may become contaminated with bacteria, notably E. coli, from the intestines of the animal (regardless of the standards applied by the farmer and butcher). Cooking an intact piece of meat on the surface is sufficient to kill any such bacteria. However, when a piece of meat is minced, contamination on the surface can be spread to any part of the product. … Irish mince is not irradiated, so the process of cooking through is crucial. E. coli infection can be fatal, so anyone who wishes to eat rare or raw minced beef in Ireland should take note of these facts.”

    Well said, except for the U.S. bit. And things get confusing when intact cuts like steaks are needle-tenderized.

    The facts are ground beef in the U.S. needs to be cooked to 160F (71C) as verified by a tip-sensitive digital thermometer.

    Stick it in.

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  • Food irradiation videos highlight, uh, creativity?

    Posted: September 14th, 2008 - 7:04pm by Doug Powell

     Whether you’re Lou Dobbs with your own cable show or Norman B- and his Deviations from the Norm, you too can have your own opinions about food irradiation.

    I have mine, and want individuals to have choice at the checkout counter.
    “Food irradiation of fresh produce is an additional tool that can help reduce the threat of foodborne illness — but it is not a magic bullet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published a final rule allowing the irradiation of fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach, available at: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cfsup185.html

    "Farmers still need to practice good agricultural practices, and the possibility of post-processing contamination still exists, Powell said, but added that irradiation is safe and should be made available at the retail level.

    "There's a lot of people already speaking on behalf of consumers and what they may or may not do," Powell said. "When it comes to food, consumers vote with their wallets at checkout, not on public opinion surveys. I'd really like to see someone step up and offer consumers the choice. There have been enough serious outbreaks of foodborne illness in fresh produce that the interest in irradiated spinach and lettuce should be strong."

    But check out these videos.
     

     

     

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  • Nuke my food. Please

    Posted: August 26th, 2008 - 7:27pm by Doug Powell

    Marjorie Cortez, a Deseret News editorial writer in Salt Lake City whose kitchen is armed with bleach, antibacterial wipes and sprays, writes,

    “Some 12 years ago, my husband got sick. I had never seen a person so sick outside of a hospital. His fevers were so severe that when they broke, the bed sheets were sopping wet. He couldn't keep anything in his stomach. We battled to keep him hydrated.

    “He wasn't alone in his misery. He was among a small group of people who contracted salmonella when a restaurant cook failed to properly clean a cutting board where raw chicken had been cut. …

    “So it surprises me when there's such outcry when the Food and Drug Administration approves a practice to help make our food safer. This past week, the FDA decided to allow spinach and lettuce sellers to treat their products with radiation to safeguard against E. coli and other bugs that can make us sick.

    “As soon as FDA officials made the announcement, critics were all over the airwaves claiming radiation makes food less nutritious and potentially toxic.
    Toxic? Give salmonella a whirl if you want to talk toxic. …

    “Food irradiation isn't a magic bullet. But it's one more barrier to micro-organisms that can sicken and kill. I should think that most people would want that extra tool to help keep their families safe, particularly when we know that a fairly high percentage of food-borne illnesses result from poor food-handling practices in the home.

    “For me, it's one more safeguard, one I'm more than willing to welcome into my home.”
     

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    Irradiation
  • Really, consumers can decide about irradiation

    Posted: August 22nd, 2008 - 11:29pm by Doug Powell

    In between listeria interviews yesterday I spoke with Julie Schmit of USA Today about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approved of irradiation on spinach and lettuce to kill dangerous bacteria.

    The steady pace of food-safety scares -- and growing consumer awareness of food-safety risks -- will improve consumer acceptance of irradiated greens, says Doug Powell of the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University

    ."There's been enough outbreaks ... that the consumer demand should be there.”

     Craig Wilson, food-safety chief for Costco, said that while a handful of companies have succeeded in selling irradiated ground beef since it hit the market in 2000, the idea has largely flopped.

     "Mom wouldn't buy it.”

     But I bet there are lots of moms, and dads, who want to increase their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables without having their kids end up on the kidney transplant list. As I said before, irradiation is an additional tool that can enhance the safety of the food supply. But don’t let the technology be derailed by activists on the InterWebs. Let consumers decide.

     

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  • Let consumers decide about food irradiation

    Posted: August 22nd, 2008 - 9:28am by Doug Powell

    A friend sent me this mock-up of what the organic types may do in response to the approval of irradiation for spinach and lettuce.

    Maybe, and the InterWebs are already soaked with screeds about the dangers of the man, and irradiation, but maybe consumers are a little beyond that. So I put out this:

    Food irradiation of fresh produce is an additional tool that can help reduce the threat of foodborne illness — but it is not a magic bullet, according to Doug Powell, an associate professor of food safety at Kansas State University.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published a final rule allowing the irradiation of fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach, available at: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cfsup185.html

    Farmers still need to practice good agricultural practices, and the possibility of post-processing contamination still exists, Powell said, but added that irradiation is safe and should be made available at the retail level.

    "There's a lot of people already speaking on behalf of consumers and what they may or may not do," Powell said. "When it comes to food, consumers vote with their wallets at checkout, not on public opinion surveys. I'd really like to see someone step up and offer consumers the choice. There have been enough serious outbreaks of foodborne illness in fresh produce that the interest in irradiated spinach and lettuce should be strong."

    Powell can be reached at 785-317-0560 or dpowell@k-state.edu

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    Consumers, Irradiation, Produce