U.S. Food Industry Begins to Embrace Irradiation

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U.S. Food Industry Begins To Embrace Irradiation

By Jerry Bieszk

2-5-3

 

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Stung by record recalls of tainted meat last

year, the U.S. food industry is stepping up the use of new

technology to irradiate meat as an extra protection against deadly

bacteria such as E. coli and listeria.

 

Just a small part of the 9 billion pounds of ground beef sold in the

United States last year was irradiated, but the amount is growing

rapidly, despite concerns voiced by some consumer groups about the

unknown long-term effects on health.

 

" I would estimate the total volume currently being irradiated under

5 percent (of beef production), but we are anticipating an

exponential growth curve, " said Janet Riley, spokeswoman for the

American Meat Institute (AMI).

 

Irradiation exposes products to ionizing radiation that kills

insects, molds and bacteria. The U.S. government approved

irradiation treatment of ground beef in January 2000, and the first

batch was processed in May of that year.

 

BIG INCREASES

 

Irradiation began to ramp up late last year after the largest meat

recall in U.S. history. In October, Pilgrim's Pride Corp. recalled

27.4 million pounds of poultry products because of an outbreak of

listeria, a potentially deadly bacteria. The outbreak that prompted

the recall was blamed for killing eight people and making more than

40 sick.

 

The U.S. Agriculture Department said this week that 60 percent of

the largest U.S. meat plants failed to meet federal food safety

regulations for preventing the E. coli bacteria in their products.

The bacteria causes an estimated 73,000 infections and 61 deaths in

the United States each year, according to government data.

 

Food companies see irradiation as another barrier of protection

against bacteria that can cause food-borne illness, especially to

protect children, the elderly and those with weakened immune

systems.

 

SureBeam Corp., the largest provider of the technology, said it

expects to process between 300 million and 350 million pounds of

beef this year, up from about 15 million in 2002.

 

" Irradiation eliminates 99.9 percent of the pathogens such as E.

coli, salmonella and listeria without changing the taste, texture,

appearance or nutritional value of the meat, " said John Fox,

associate professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State

University. " In spite of its name, the process cannot make food

radioactive. "

 

The Food and Drug Administration permits three types of ionizing

radiation on foods: gamma rays, high-energy electrons and X-rays.

 

Irradiation is widely used to sterilize many non-food products,

including toothbrushes, home-use adhesive bandage strips and

surgical tools, although at doses much higher than used for food.

Irradiation has been used to kill insects in wheat flour since 1963

and used on common kitchen spices since 1983.

 

Still, critics say irradiation may deplete vitamins and nutrients,

and that irradiated food contains chemical byproducts that may be

harmful. They say irradiation is an effort by meat packers and

processors to cover up sloppy food-handling processes.

 

Washington-based consumer group Public Citizen, for example, is

calling for studies on the long-term effects of treated meat on

children. In the meantime, they oppose the use of irradiation for

beef supplied by the Agriculture Department for school meals.

 

" A decision to feed schoolchildren irradiated food would mean this

agency (USDA) is willing to put our children's health at risk to

help cover up the meat industry's sanitary failures, " said Wenonah

Hauter, director of Public Citizen's Critcal Mass Energy and

Environment Program.

 

Also, if irradiated food is permitted in school lunches, it will not

be labeled in the way that irradiated retail food must be, making it

impossible for parents to know what school cafeterias are feeding

their children, critics point out.

 

The FDA requires irradiated meat be labeled with a symbol resembling

a stylized flower and the words " treated by irradiation. "

 

IMMEDIATE BENEFITS

 

Meat industry experts said irradiation is no " silver bullet " and

proper food handling at home remains critical. Meat can be

contaminated by residue from other foods or by utensils used to

prepare other meals. Cooking of ground beef to an internal

temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (72 degrees Celsius) can kill

E. coli and listeria, the Beef Council said.

 

Still, the proven benefits are clearly winning over many consumers

and health care officials, and use of the technology is taking off.

 

A nationwide survey conducted by the National Cattlemen's Beef

Association found that 48 percent of Americans would purchase

irradiated meat. That response in November 2002 was up from 38

percent in February. Industry officials said that small doses of

irradiation should not affect the taste of the meat.

 

The World Health Organization has endorsed irradiation, saying it is

one of the most effective food decontamination methods available for

meat and poultry products.

 

" On the average, one major retail (food) chain has rolled out

irradiated ground beef every week basically since last August, " said

Ron Eustice, executive director of the Minnesota Beef Council. He

said about 4,000 supermarkets carry either fresh irradiated ground

beef or frozen products.

 

Supermarket companies Safeway Inc., Albertson's Inc. and Giant Eagle

Inc. have all signed on to sell irradiated meat at some of their

stores.

 

MEAT PROCESSORS TAKE ACTION

 

The number of packers and processors irradiating beef is growing

rapidly. They are beginning to contract for irradiation capability

in their plants instead of at remote locations.

 

Excel, a division of Minnesota-based Cargill Inc., plans to install

electron beam irradiation facilities at its packing plants in

Schuyler, Nebraska, and Plano, Texas. Rochester, Minnesota-based

TeMeats, and Minnesota-based W.W. Johnson Co. have announced plans

to market irradiated product.

 

The former ConAgra Foods Inc. slaughterhouse in Greeley, Colorado,

now operating as Swift and Co., has committed more than $4 million

to increase food safety and plans later this year to have some of

its meat irradiated. In July, the plant was the focal point of the

third-largest beef recall in history when the company recalled

almost 19 million pounds of beef because of E. coli concerns.

 

" Irradiated ground beef will become the gold standard at food

service in the next two to three years, " said the Minnesota Beef

Council's Eustice. " Food irradiation will take its rightful place as

the fourth pillar of public health alongside pasteurization of milk,

immunization against disease and chlorination of our water supply --

and that will take place in the next decade. "