Rich. I think when you read the prospectus, you told us that.
But I don't think it is in action yet. I have to look it up.
Ever heard of this Vindicator Company ?
Has Irradiation Scared Us Senseless?
With scientists in government, academia, professional organizations and industry all pointing to foodborne illness
as their largest food safety concern, consumers may be starting to recognize the significance of food's
microbiological hazards.
But are they ready to accept a technology that all but eliminates disease-causing microorganisms in foods such
as poultry with the added benefit of reducing the usage of some pesticides?
The opening of the first food irradiation plant in the United States in late 1991 will help answer that question.
The availability of irradiation as an approved food technology in the United States is not new. The U.S. Food
and Drug Administration approved its use in foods in 1963 for control of insects in wheat and wheat flour, and
for prevention of sprouting in potatoes in 1964. Other uses were later approved for spices, pork and
dehydrated enzyme and vegetable preparations.
More recently, approved was given in 1986 for irradiating fruits and vegetables to control ripening and insects,
and for poultry in 1990 to control illness-causing microorganisms.
To date, most companies have passed on using food irradiation, mostly out of concern that consumer fears
might lead to rejection of irradiated products. Since 1989 three states, (Maine, New York and New Jersey)
have either banned or issued a moratorium on the sale of irradiated foods. While such fears are commonplace,
food irradiation is being used to control microbiological hazards in Scandinavian countries with full public
support.
Now a company in Mulberry, Fla. is trying to bring that success to the U.S. marketplace. "The question is
whether consumers want the safest food possible in the supermarket," says Sam Whitney, president of
Vindicator of Florida Inc. To Whitney, it's a question of common sense.
Once Vindicator has completed testing of its facilities under regulation by the Florida Department of Health and
Rehabilitative Services, it will begin irradiating fresh fruits and vegetables to slow their spoilage. Strawberries
and mangos will be among the first products to be treated at the Vindicator plant, according to Whitney.
However, Whitney believes the true value of irradiation will be realized in combating foodborne illness caused
by salmonella, campylobacter and yersinia, particularly in poultry, meat and shellfish. "Nobody's dying from
eating moldy strawberries," he said.
What Is Food Irradiation?
Some scientists draw a parallel between pasteurization and food irradiation because both eliminate many
microorganisms that cause spoilage. In both cases, the treated food has a longer shelf-life but still needs
refrigeration. However, because irradiation does not use heat, foods retain the qualities of freshness.
In the process of irradiation, food is exposed to ionizing energy. This causes the breakdown of chemical bonds
within the DNA and other molecules that make up the vital portions of cells. Living organisms repair molecular
damage from ionizing energy that is present at low levels everywhere around us. Yet an excessive exposure
would be fatal to any form of life. That's why proper exposure and appropriate doses can rid foods of insects,
parasites and microorganisms that produce spoilage or disease.
Food irradiation facilities are similar in deciding and safety aspects to those in wide use for sterilizing medical
products such a surgeons' gloves and sutures. In the United States, this technology has been used only in
special food applications, such as sterilizing food for astronauts or immuno-compromised hospital patients.
A common misperception about food irradiation is that the food somehow becomes radioactive in the process.
"Irradiated food is no more radioactive than my baggage after it goes through airport security or my teeth after
an X-ray at the dentist," said Christine Bruhn, Ph.D., of the University of California-Davis, Center for
Consumer Research.
Radioactivity Fears Unfounded
Food passes through a radiation field at a set speed to control the amount of energy that passes through the
food. The food never comes into direct contact with the radiation source, and FDA sets dose limits for specific
foods.
Other concerns that irradiation might reduce the nutritional content of food are no more justified than similar
concern over simple cooking procedures and normal food processing techniques.
Critics of food irradiation have claimed that the process produces carcinogenic substances called radiolytic
compounds or free radicals. Yet research does not confirm this.
"No chemical compounds have ever been found in foods treated with ionizing energy that have not been found
in the corresponding unprocessed foods or in foods processed by other methods," according to a report by the
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology.
FDA has reviewed research for 30 years that examines possible harmful effects of irradiated food. "Just as we
can't prove the absence of a ghost, scientists cannot point to some Othing' that proves the absence of risk," said
George Pauli, Ph.D., an FDA food irradiation expert. "One can only search diligently."
Ironically, without any known by-products of irradiation, it has been impossible to develop a method for
detecting whether a food has been exposed to ionizing energy. This makes enforcement of the FDA
requirement that irradiated foods be labeled another challenge for experts.
In 1980 FDA concluded that food irradiated at a dose not exceeding 1 kiloGray is safe for human
consumption, even when the food is a substantial part of the overall diet. After further review FDA raised that
limit in 1990, setting an allowable dose of 3 kiloGrays for poultry.
Worldwide Approval
In separate reviews, the international health community has reached similar conclusions. The Joint Expert
Committee on the Wholesomeness of Irradiated Foods, convened by the World Health Organization, declared
in 1980 that irradiation of any food up to an overall average dose of 10 kiloGrays causes no toxicological
hazard and introduces no special nutritional or microbiological problems.
The Codex Aminentarius Commission, a United Nations organization that recommends international food
standards, adopted the committee's recommendation in 1983.
Concern for Environment
In addition to food safety, consumers are frequently concerned about possible environmental effects of food
irradiation. But unlike nuclear power plants and weapons manufacturing, there is no uranium or other fissionable
material present, and no source of neutrons to produce fission.
The amount of energy used in food irradiation is relatively low and produces little heat. There are no hot fluids
or gases that could generate an explosion; no radioactive gases, liquids or solids that could be released
accidentally in the environment; and no known ways that the materials could be used to produce nuclear
weapons.
Consumer Attitudes
The anticipated opening of the Vindicator irradiation facility in Florida has been greeted with picketing
protesters, a threatened boycott and a negative radio ad campaign. Most of this activity has been generated by
a small consumer group called Food & Water Inc., founded by a New Jersey osteopath.
Obviously intended to create consumer alarm, one radio spot begins, "What if you found out that those fresh
fruits and vegetables everyone keeps telling you to eat more of, might...kill you? No joke."
But many experts say such exaggerated claims about food irradiation are largely overcome when consumers
are provided information about FDA approval of the technology, regulatory overview of the process and
product benefits derived from irradiation.
Christine Bruhn also believes consumers should be aware of the choices that must be made between one food
protection method and another. She and her colleagues conducted an in-store consumer test of tree-ripened
papayas treated with irradiation and papayas treated with the usual method of double-dipping in hot water -
which requires picking the fruit before ripening.
The consumers expressed clear preference for the irradiated papayas' appearance and taste. For most people,
irradiation was not a barrier to the acceptance of a superior quality product. Two-thirds or more indicated they
would buy irradiated produce if provided a choice.
However, Bruhn offers a caveat. "It should be noted that this successful marketing took place in a supportive
environment - consumers could verify product quality by tasting and informational material was available."
Clear product benefits and adequate information about food irradiation may be the key to consumer
acceptance of the technology. |
