Irradiated Foods

By: Rick Schaff

-- an excerpt from my book, MISLED

www.HEALTHandINSPIRATION.com

I was in a health food store about a year ago buying some spices when something intriguing caught my eye. The label on one of the spice jars read, “non-irradiated.” My immediate reaction was curiosity. Why would such a statement appear on a spice jar? Did that mean everything else was typically irradiated? When I got home, I started to research irradiated food and to my surprise I found out that many types of food are routinely subjected to some form of radiation treatment in order to kill harmful bacteria and extend shelf life. It was a process originally created to preserve food in the military and has now spread to the American consumer. I had no idea this was becoming a common food industry procedure, something I found to be a bit shocking.

According to their studies, the FDA claims this treatment is completely safe and has shown no questionable side effects. However, many healthcare professionals disagree: they believe irradiated food could have detrimental effects on human consumers. Personally, I understand the rationale behind irradiating meats that must be shipped long distances because it will prevent dangerous microbes from causing food contamination. However, I do not understand the necessity to irradiate fresh fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, this technique has become widely used among many different food groups, including fresh fruits and vegetables, to prolong shelf life.

WARNING! Look at this symbol carefully. It signifies that food you are about to buy has been irradiated.

The Center for Disease Control recently stated that,

“Food irradiation is a promising new application of an established technology. It holds great potential for preventing many important food-borne illnesses that are transmitted through meat, poultry, fresh produce and other foods.”

While it’s true that irradiating fresh fruits and vegetables may kill potentially dangerous bacteria and mold, it also kills all the living enzymes in food while depleting certain vitamins. Many critics believe that food irradiation is yet another strategy designed to help big food companies increase shelf life and improve profits with little regard for the effects it may have on the consumer. Based on everything I know about food irradiation, I do not support it. I think there are much safer ways to prevent food contamination.

How do you know which foods are irradiated? If you're looking for the infamous red and yellow radiation symbol popularized in movies and television to warn you, forget about it: you won’t find that symbol on your food label. Instead, look for a much more environmentally friendly symbol that shows a “happy” flower surrounded by a green circle. I am very uncomfortable with the use of such a symbol to represent such an unnatural process.

According to the Center for Disease Control, a facility in Florida has been irradiating strawberries and other fruits on a limited basis to prolong shelf life. Additionally, many fresh tropical fruits from Hawaii have been irradiated before shipping them to the mainland, instead of fumigating them to eliminate the fruit fly pests that could spread to the rest of the country. Many spices for commercial use have also been irradiated. To justify the necessity of food irradiation, the CDC suggests that this process may be the lesser of two evils and states:

“Other technologies used to sterilize fruits, spices and medical devices use toxic chemicals, such as ethylene oxide. Use of irradiation can reduce the use of these and other hazardous substances.”

In my opinion, “the lesser of two evils” is still an evil and should not be accepted.

The Bottom Line

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that radiation kills living tissue and is not conducive to optimum health. I suggest avoiding it all costs if you want to be your healthiest. In contrast, organic foods are not subject to radiation and do not contain dangerous chemicals. Instead they contain healthy living enzymes and elevated levels of vitamins and minerals; truly what we need to achieve our best health possible.

Note: Natural, biodegradable fruit and vegetable washes are sold in most health food stores. They are cheap, convenient, and can easily and effectively remove up to 94% pesticides, dirt, and harmful bacteria.