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DEL.ICIO.USReady to fight the threats in your fridge?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Americans probably have more to fear from foodborne illnesses than they do from terrorists.
Only consumers in a vegetative state could think that the E.coli outbreak of contaminated spinach that has killed at least one person and sickened about 170 others in 25 states cannot affect other crops and occur again in the near future.
Each year about 76 million Americans become ill by tainted food. Many with severe cases of foodborne disease are children, the elderly, and persons with compromised immune systems.
Most foodborne illness last for only a day or two. However, 325,000 people are made sick enough to be hospitalized and more than 5,000 deaths occur because of foodborne disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most foodborne illness can be mitigated by good personal hygiene and by following the Food and Drug Administrations recommendations on proper food handling and preparation:
Regular and thorough hand washing, avoiding cross contamination of meat, poultry, and seafood and other groceries; cooking and reheating food to prescribed safe temperatures and properly refrigerating, freezing, and defrosting foods.
However, when it comes to fruits and vegetables that can be eaten raw, such as spinach, we must explore methods other than cooking to destroy deadly bacteria like E.coli.
(Now that I’m eating more fruits and vegetables - including spinach, a favorite of mine - this issue has affected my life more than I thought it would.)
Because people must eat to live, the risks of foodborne disease is ever-present. The fallout from foodborne disease can include death and severe economic loss. It is estimated that spinach growers have lost about $200 million because of the E.coli outbreak.
Therefore, now is a good time for scientists, government officials, and consumers to begin a public dialogue about using existing technology like food irradiation as a proactive means to lessen the occurrence of foodborne disease outbreaks.
Food irradiation is one method along the continuum of modern science and technology that can reduce the possibility of foodborne illnesses.
“Like the pasteurization of milk and pressure cooking of canned foods, food irradiation can destroy bacteria and parasites that would otherwise cause foodborne disease,” says the Infectious Diseases Society of America on its website.
Irradiated food is exposed briefly to a radiant-energy source — the amount of energy depends on the food. Those energy waves kill bacteria and other pathogens and insects that can make human beings sick. Irradiated food retains most of its nutritional value and its color, shape, texture, and aroma.
Irradiation does not make food radioactive and unsafe to consume. Both the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association endorse food irradiation.
Currently 40 countries use irradiation to help protect their food supply. NASA uses food irradiation to ensure food safety for its astronauts and irradiation can be used to sterilize surgical instruments.
Irradiation will raise the cost of produce by a few cents per pound, but the increase is minimal in comparison to human suffering and death and economic loss caused by foodborne illness.
Because of the spinach scare I’m now more open to eating irradiated foods and I’m thinking of asking my grocer more about it.
Will you learn more about food irradiation? Will you consider asking your grocer to stock irradiated produce?
Permalink | Comments (25) | Categories: Beni Dakar
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By Ellen G
October 3, 2006 07:32 AM | Link to this
I do not know if I want to eat irradiated veggies. But the public should demand some good answers about food safety. This year the spinach scare. Before it was bad hamburger and Mad Cow disease. What food crisis is next?
By Marilyn
October 3, 2006 09:57 AM | Link to this
This is a basic health issue. Everybody does have to eat to live and we rely on faith that food is safe to eat. We need more safeguards to help ensure that our food supply is safe. Yes, we should look at new ways to help make sure that our food is okay to eat.
By JOHN
October 3, 2006 10:30 AM | Link to this
After the spinach scare, I looked into food irradiation and I concluded that I would ABSOLUTELY buy cold-pasteurized greens if I could find them. My question is where do I find irradiated produce so I can buy it?
By Marilyn
October 3, 2006 11:07 AM | Link to this
I guess we have to ask our grocer or maybe call the health department or something to see about irradiated foods…hmmm
Some foods that come from out of the country must be irradiated in order to get through customs because of nasty bug issues; so there is irradiated produce already in the marketplace. I suppose if there is a consumer demand for it, then irradiated produce might be stocked.
I wonder if there are other ways (other than irradiation) to make fresh produce safer to eat? I want safe food, but radiated food just is not appealing to me.
By LG
October 3, 2006 11:28 AM | Link to this
Hate to tell you people this, but the chances of you already having a food borne illness is pretty high. The symptoms of a lesser illnesses are the same as the flu. You could’ve ate something contaminated without knowing it, and just passed it off as having the flu.
Take a food handling class, you’d be amazed (and sickened) by what you find out.
By Carrot juice recalled after botulism cases
October 3, 2006 12:09 PM | Link to this
How timely can this article be? On the front of the AJC.com is Carrot juice recalled after botulism cases
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/2006/10/03/1003carrotjuice.html
On second thought maybe irradiation is okay. It beats boutulism. Botulism will kill you sooner — at least radiation will only kill you years later.
By Kris
October 3, 2006 12:23 PM | Link to this
I understand that irradiation causes food to lose its nutrients. I’d love to hear more facts about this.
By Angie
October 3, 2006 12:39 PM | Link to this
I recall reading once that 90% of all gastrointestinal illnesses are actually food-borne instead of viral. We think it’s a virus because everyone in the family is sick, but it’s actually something we ate.
Kinda gross when you think about it.
I have a friend who is not real “up” on her kitchen sanitation and her family seems to have “stomach bugs” every other month or so. I don’t know how to tell her that she probably just needs to clean up her act in the kitchen.
By Bella
October 3, 2006 01:10 PM | Link to this
I don’t know if I want to eat irradiated food. I’d rather see what a lifetime of exposure to such foods does to the body before I consume it. Remember, scientists once thought DDT was safe, too…and see how wrong they were.
By JJ
October 3, 2006 02:05 PM | Link to this
Good topic. But no one wants to think that the food that they eat might kill em.
By Dan
October 3, 2006 05:22 PM | Link to this
If 90% of gastrointestinal illnesses are food borne the reality is it is not a problem now is it. As a matter of fact it is normal, much of the problem is getting used to certain bugs. We can’t drink the water in Mexico but they can drink it just fine. With so much international and interstate commerce we are just not used to “bugs” from another area. Maybe over time we will develope some immunities. Of course then the bugs will develope a new symptom. It is largely hysteria hyped by the litigeousness of our society.
By SadieMae
October 3, 2006 06:46 PM | Link to this
Dan wrote: It is largely hysteria hyped by the litigeousness of our society.
People getting sick and dying because of bad spinanch is nothing but hype because our society loves law suits? What is your logic on this one?
By Dave
October 4, 2006 06:10 AM | Link to this
This is insane. The only “threats in the fridge” we need to be fighting are the boxes of ice cream and jugs of chocolate milk that are making us a ridiculously obese nation. As for being afraid of eating vegetables because there’s a tiny chance of getting sick… give me a break! Even if you do get sick, so what? You feel bad, you throw up, you move on. IT HAPPENS. God we’ve become a nation full of cowards. Listen, you can’t live your life being afraid of everything. That isn’t living, it’s just dieing slowly a little more each day.
By LG
October 4, 2006 06:15 AM | Link to this
One in millions who eat spinach is dead from eating spinach. You’re odds of dying from a food borne illness is pretty minute. Less compare the odds to say dying while driving in Atlanta - which is more likely?
By Bad Food is a REAL crisis
October 4, 2006 07:31 AM | Link to this
Okay Dave and LG…so 76 million sick, 365K hospitalied, and 5000 dead annually is nothing to worry about? Tell that to those affected by bad food or the loved ones of those with failed kidneys or who are dead because of tainted spinach. Okay!
The smartest and best nation on earth should have better statistics. We aren’t the Third World.
By LG
October 4, 2006 08:00 AM | Link to this
Why don’t you look up third world countries’ stats? I’m sure they’re worse.
I hate to tell you this but none of us are getting off thie planet walking. We all have to die of something, so why worry about food borne illness. 5000 dead on food borne illness compared to millions who die on the highways each year or of cancer and heart disease. It really doesn’t make food borne illness a big scare for me.
By Mike Adams
October 4, 2006 11:32 AM | Link to this
To Marylin; If you don’t think irradiated food sound appealing then you should quit using your microwave. It runs off the same principle as e-beam irradiation technology. Ever have a hamburger from Schwaans or Omaha Steaks. I eat them all the time and they are delicious. To LG; You are confusing radiation with irradiation. Irradiation is not a bomb. E-beam irrradiation gets its power from normal electricity. There are no radioactive materials involved. To Kris; Irradiation does cause food to lose some nutrients. Research shows the loss from irradiation to be equal to or less than the amount of nutrients lost during cooking.
By LG
October 4, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this
Mike,
I was talking about either. I was talking about food borne illnesses, and not living my life afraid of getting one compared to dying other ways.
But thank you for your input.
By No Fear
October 4, 2006 12:11 PM | Link to this
LG, you are right, we should not live as fearful people. But there is a difference between being ‘fearful’ opposed to being thoughtful and having rightfully placed concerned about what we eat.
76 million people become sick annually because of foodborne illness; that means that 1/4 of the American population of 300 million people becomes sick each year because of bad food. That is a lot of folks affected by bad food. Not to mention 5000 people actually die. That is more deaths annually than all of the US soldiers and contractors killed in Iraq to date combined.
If we can use or brains and the technology to significantly decrease those numbers, then that is a worthwile cause.
But again, LG, you are right, we must not ever live our lives being in fear. But instead in a strong faith in our creator and in ourselves.
By No Fear
October 4, 2006 12:14 PM | Link to this
LG, you are right, we should not live as fearful people. But there is a difference between being ‘fearful’ opposed to being thoughtful and having rightfully placed concerned about what we eat.
76 million people become sick annually because of foodborne illness; that means that 1/4 of the American population of 300 million people becomes sick each year because of bad food. That is a lot of folks affected by bad food. Not to mention 5000 people actually die. That is more deaths annually than all of the US soldiers and contractors killed in Iraq to date combined.
If we can use or brains and the technology to significantly decrease those numbers, then that is a worthwile cause.
But again, LG, you are right, we must not ever live our lives being in fear. But instead in a strong faith in our creator and in ourselves.
By No Fear
October 4, 2006 12:17 PM | Link to this
LG, you are right, we should not live as fearful people. But there is a difference between being ‘fearful’ opposed to being thoughtful and having rightfully placed concerned about what we eat.
76 million people become sick annually because of foodborne illness; that means that 1/4 of the American population of 300 million people becomes sick each year because of bad food. That is a lot of folks affected by bad food. Not to mention 5000 people actually die. That is more deaths annually than all of the US soldiers and contractors killed in Iraq to date combined.
If we can use or brains and the technology to significantly decrease those numbers, then that is a worthwile cause.
But again, LG, you are right, we must not ever live our lives being in fear. But instead in a strong faith in our creator and in ourselves.
By LG
October 4, 2006 08:09 PM | Link to this
No Fear,
We don’t need technology. Just take a food handling course. You’ll learn what to avoid, and how to minimize your risks. It’s like a defensive driving course for food consumption. I took a course because it was required at work, one of the best courses I ever took.
Education is needed from the field hands to the last person to touch your food - that’s how to stop the spread of food borne illnesses.
By No Fear
October 5, 2006 09:27 AM | Link to this
LG..I will take you up on this one. I will look out for and enroll in a food safety course. Thanks.
By Jen, Food & Water Watch
October 5, 2006 01:09 PM | Link to this
Most consumers are wary of irradiation, and rightfully so. It changes the chemical composition of food and destroys vitamins. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has noted irradiation destroys up to 80 percent of the vitamin A in eggs and half of the beta-carotene in orange juice. Irradiation is completely inappropriate for vegetables.
For more, see the Link:Food & Water Watch website or our report Link:Irradiation: A Gross Failure
By No Fear
October 5, 2006 01:54 PM | Link to this
Thank you Jen at Food & Water Watch. I will check out the links that you sent. Maybe we all can learn something? You think so?