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<\/p>\nWe need to dive a bit further into the role irradiation plays when getting food transported and to the table.\u00a0 Let’s talk about why it is so common and whether it is fulfilling its promises to keep people safe.<\/p>\n
If your child knowingly drank after a sick friend, and then said \u201chey, that is what antibiotics are for!\u201d what would be your first reaction?<\/p>\n
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Let us look at it this way: you are in the passenger seat and the driver is texting, talking or otherwise preoccupied with anything but the road. The driver looks up at you and says, \u201chey, that\u2019s what seatbelts and guard rails are for\u2026\u201d it is time to panic.<\/p>\n
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I just spent some time on the \u201cCenter for Disease Control & Prevention\u201d (CDC) government website and I am pretty sure that I just read the above scenario (stated differently) on there.\u00a0 Except in this case, it is referring to raw meat and other foods.\u00a0 You see, who needs to worry about the quality of the meat, the condition of the CAFO\u2019s<\/a> or chicken houses, quality of the feed, or the care of the animal when you can just blast away all of the ickies with a mega dose ofir radiation?<\/p>\n Please read the statement for yourself:<\/p>\n Treating raw meat and poultry with irradiation at the slaughter plant<\/span> could eliminate bacteria commonly found raw meat and raw poultry, such as E. coli<\/em> O157:H7, Salmonella<\/em>, and Campylobacter<\/em>. These organisms currently cause millions of infections and thousands of hospitalizations in the United States every year. Raw meat irradiation could also eliminate Toxoplasma organisms, which can be responsible for severe eye and congenital infections. Irradiating prepared ready-to-eat meats like hot dogs and deli meats, could eliminate the risk of Listeria<\/em> from such foods. Irradiation could also eliminate bacteria like Shigella<\/em> and Salmonella<\/em> from fresh produce. The potential benefit is also great for those dry foods that might be stored for long times and transported over great distances, such as spices and grains. Animal feeds are often contaminated<\/span> with bacteria like Salmonella<\/em>. Irradiation of animal feeds could prevent the spread<\/span> of Salmonella<\/em> and other pathogens to livestock through feeds. (CDC, 2005)<\/p>\n The above highlights are mine, and here is my reaction in the greater context of the situation:<\/p>\n 1) Excuse me, but those are living animals!\u00a0 Forget what you can nuke their carcass with after the fact, they are alive. \u00a0I agree that their purpose is to produce food.\u00a0 However, they need not be disregarded as dumb machines.\u00a0 Treating animals poorly is a precursor to seeing everything and everyone as utilitarian objects.\u00a0 Try starting with these questions:\u00a0 \u201cWhat is the purpose of a cow\/pig\/chicken?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWhat does the cow\/pig\/chicken need?\u201d\u00a0 Instead of questions like this: \u201cWhat can I get away with legally?\u201d\u00a0 It may be legal, but it is immoral<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 2)Joel Salatin<\/a> is known for saying, \u201cWe are excellent at hitting the bull\u2019s-eye on the wrong target.\u201d\u00a0 Have you seen the average slaughter plant?\u00a0 Of course there is illness-inducing bacteria on the meat!\u00a0 It does not need to be that way, though.\u00a0 But is anyone asking how we can bring safe and ethical food production back to the local level?<\/p>\n 3)\u00a0 If the just-heat-ready-to-eat-meat has Listeria, it is not exactly ready to eat, is it?\u00a0 When did grocery store shelves get so dangerous?<\/p>\n 4) Transporting food over greater distances\u2014sure, we can see some merit in that.\u00a0 Let us face it, I just cannot grow bananas in Northern Montana.\u00a0 But zapping food to make it last longer?\u00a0 If your food is no longer perishable, it is not food.\u00a0 If the bacteria that causes composting<\/a> does not want touch something, then chances are I do not either.\u00a0 Put a pre-packaged yellowish tubular cr\u00e8me filled dessert cake on the counter and see when it begins to perish.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5) Animal feeds are often contaminated\u2014really?\u00a0 And if we know this, why are we feeding it to them?\u00a0 Is the animal eating appropriate feed for that kind of animal?\u00a0 Most people might not know this\u2014but cows were never supposed to have full-corn diets.\u00a0 They are supposed to eat grass in the field still growing or even properly hayed.\u00a0 Salmonella on prairie clover is quite unlikely.<\/p>\n They must have known I was reading this.\u00a0 The CDC continues:<\/p>\n Irradiation is not a short cut that means food hygiene efforts can be relaxed. Many steps need to be taken from farm to table to make sure that our food supply is clean and safe. Irradiation is a major step forward, but it does not replace other important efforts, including efforts to improve sanitation on the farm and in the food processing plant. For irradiation to be effective, the food that is to be irradiated already needs to be clean. The more initial contamination there is, the higher dose of irradiation it would take to eliminate possible pathogens, and the greater the change in the taste and quality of the food. The protection of irradiation will be overcome if the contamination levels are too high.\u00a0 (CDC, 2005)<\/em><\/p>\n Yes, I am a critic.\u00a0 Would I rather have the (current) alternative to irradiated food? Of course not!\u00a0 If you are only offering one alternative, that being to get sick or not, to poison my family or not\u2026then yes I suppose I will take the zapped meat.\u00a0 But why accept just this one alternative?\u00a0 Perhaps it is time to loosen city ordinances to encourage \u201ckitchen poultry\u201d and \u201cvictory gardens\u201d once again!\u00a0 Get to know your local farmer.<\/p>\n The CDC seems quite proud of sterile food production.\u00a0 No bacteria?\u00a0 That is like saying, \u201cThe good news is that we solved the termite problem.\u00a0 Bad news, we had to burn down the house to do it.\u201d\u00a0 All bacteria is killed off in the food.\u00a0 Has anyone asked if this is healthy?\u00a0 Do you realize you have 3 trillion living beings within your own body?\u00a0 Not all bacteria is Salmonella, Listeria or E. Coli O157:H7.\u00a0 Bacteria are necessary for life and for your immune system.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We can keep building bigger, faster, higher capacity ambulances or we can ask the right questions to avoid generating more crash victims in the first place.\u00a0<\/strong> More \u03cbbersterile food, or better food production methods?<\/p>\n I want to leave you with this thought\u2014what are our alternatives?\u00a0 Be sure of this, we can actively speak a message with our purchasing power, with our voices, and with our backyard gardens.\u00a0 Let us get back to the basics of producing and processing our own foods as much as it is possible, and buying locally wherever possible.\u00a0 Let us aim for transparency when it comes to food production and smarter consumers to drive market forces.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Berger, M. E. (2003). Oak ridge<\/em> institute for science and education<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/orise.orau.gov\/reacts\/guide\/define.htm<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Centers for disease control and prevention<\/em>. (2005, October 11). Retrieved from http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ncidod\/dbmd\/diseaseinfo\/foodirradiation.htm#whichprevent<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Centers for disease control and prevention<\/em>. (2005, October 11). Retrieved from http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ncidod\/dbmd\/diseaseinfo\/foodirradiation.htm#replaceprevention<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Organic Consumers Association. (2008, 08 25). History, background and status of labeling of irradiated foods<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.organicconsumers.org\/Irrad\/LabelingStatus.cfm<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Organic Consumers Association. Induced radioactivity from electron-beam irradiation.<\/em> \u00a0Retrieved from http:\/\/www.organicconsumers.org\/Irrad\/InducedRadioactivity.cfm<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Potter, J. (2010). Cooking for geeks: Real science, great hacks, and good food<\/em>. O’Reilly Media, Inc.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Weston A. Price Foundation. (2003, December 8). Irradiated meat: A sneak attack on school lunches.<\/em>\u00a0 Retrieved from http:\/\/www.westonaprice.org\/modern-foods\/irradiated-meat-school-lunches<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo Credits:<\/p>\n Cocktail Franfurters<\/a> by mOGTT4w<\/p>\n Antibiotics<\/a> by nnLUem2<\/p>\n Empty Road<\/a> by moNVEUQ<\/p>\n![\"Sheep\"](\"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/media\/Blog_Photos_2012\/mk4qyEe_mod_60.jpg\")
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