Source: LOHAS Weekly Newsletter
Published: Monday, December 01, 1997

FDA acted on a three-year-old petition by a NJ medical-products sterilizing company and approved the use of irradiation on red meat with gamma rays to kill E. coli and other bacteria. Irradiation is considered risky by some consumer advocacy groups, who say risks include the potential for creating radiolytic products, some of which are known to cause cancer; the destruction of vitamins and nutrients present in food; and potential environmental damage caused by nuclear materials used in the irradiation process. Currently FDA has approved irradiation for poultry, pork, some vegetables, grains, and spices.