Here is one to ponder....ionizing radiation in the form of irradiation or gamma rays used for cold pasteurization of meat... if it kills bacteria WHAT DO YOU THINK IS DOING TO WOMEN's BREASTS.....
STERIS Comments on FDA Approval of Red Meat Irradiation to Increase
Food Safety
MENTOR, Ohio, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- STERIS Corporation (Nasdaq: STRL - news) and Isomedix Inc., a wholly
owned subsidiary of STERIS, commented on the approval today by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) of
Isomedix's petition for the irradiation (''cold pasteurization'') of red meat to help protect consumers from food borne disease
and extend fresh shelf life by significantly reducing bacterial contamination. The 1,300 page Isomedix Meat Petition was
prepared and submitted to the FDA in 1994 in response to unnecessary deaths and illnesses arising out of contamination of
ground meat with E.coli 0157:H7.
John Masefield, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Isomedix, and the principal author of the Meat Petition, stated, ''I am
gratified by FDA's approval of irradiation of red meat. The petition that Isomedix submitted to FDA over three years ago was
a very comprehensive review and analysis of all pertinent research from published papers regarding the safety and need for
approval of the irradiation process. There is no doubt that cold pasteurization through irradiation from isotope (gamma) or
machine (electron-beam) sources is effective and extremely safe. It is estimated that in the USA alone, harmful microbial
pathogens in food are responsible for as many as 9,000 deaths and 200-250 million illnesses a year. Our Company is pleased
that irradiation can now be added to the myriad of other microbial reduction technologies, systems, products, and services
available from STERIS to improve the overall safety of our global food supply.''
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The cold pasteurization process involves exposing prepackaged uncooked red meat products to ionizing electromagnetic
energy (similar to light but a much higher frequency) which destroys harmful bacteria without compromising quality and taste of
the product and without raising its temperature. The World Health Organization stated in its press release of September 19,
1997, ''. . . the objective of processing with ionizing radiation is to destroy pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms without
compromising safety, nutrition, and sensory quality.''
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Dr. Michael Osterholm, State Epidemiologist in Minnesota, recently stated, ''There is one major step we, as a society, can
take toward producing safer food. The answer is irradiation. It is the critical missing piece in reducing the risk of illness. . .''
The approval of the irradiation process by FDA, which when followed by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
regulation, provides the meat industry with another important technology in its overall program to assure that the American
consumers have access to the safest possible food products.
Bill R. Sanford, STERIS Corporation's Chairman, President, and CEO, added, ''STERIS has long recognized the needs and
challenges associated with food safety. We believe our expertise and extensive anti-microbial capabilities in our Healthcare and
Scientific Divisions, combined with the services of our Isomedix subsidiary, will be of great benefit to the food industry and
consumers. STERIS plans to aggressively pursue business opportunities that have been expanded by today's FDA approval of
irradiation of red meat. We will offer a broad range of technologies, systems, products, and services to the food industry
through the focus of our recently created Food Safety Group.''
STERIS Corporation is a leading provider of infection prevention, contamination prevention, microbial reduction, and surgical
support systems, products, services, and technologies to healthcare, scientific, research, and industrial Customers throughout
the world. The Company has over 4,000 Associates (employees) worldwide, including more than 1,200 direct sales, service,
and field support personnel. Customer Support facilities are located in major global market centers with manufacturing
operations in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Finland. Isomedix Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of STERIS,
provides contract sterilization and microbial reduction services in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, to
manufacturers of pre-packaged products, including healthcare, food, and consumer products, through a network of 11 gamma
facilities, 5 ethylene oxide facilities (4 of which are combined gamma/ethylene oxide), and an electron-beam facility.
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