WASHINGTON (FNS) -- The concept of irradiating food to kill harmful bacteria is back in the spotlight, following the recent massive recall of hamburger meat from Hudson Foods, Rogers, Ark.
Although irradiation is viewed by the federal government and the industry as safe -- it's been approved for use with chicken, produce and spices -- the technique is rarely used in the United States.
Supermarkets, growers and processors say they have been resisting the practice because they believe consumers are suspicious about its health consequences.
Now, however, there's speculation that this could be changing in the aftermath of virtually back-to-back food contamination scares, affecting not only hamburger but apple juice, cantaloupes and raspberries, among other fresh products.
Interest in irradiation among the scientific and commercial communities is still very much alive. For three years the Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Md., has been studying whether to permit beef and pork to be treated with low-dose X-ray-like machines. Expecting eventual approval, meat industry officials say they would like to incorporate irradiation in their menu of antibacterial treatments during processing.
But, they say, irradiation won't take hold until consumer attitudes change. "The one thing that is different now is the public is starting to believe the major hazards they face with microorganisms in food," said George Pauli, director of the FDA's Division of Product Policy in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
The FDA first approved irradiation of a food in the 1960s with the treatment of flour to rid it of bugs and of potatoes to inhibit spoilage. The agency during the 1980s approved irradiation of spices to kill microorganisms, which was then followed by approval for produce and poultry.
There are about 50 irradiating facilities in North America, whose business is primarily focused on sterilizing disposable medical equipment and personal care supplies. While some of these companies do a small amount of food irradiation -- like treating spices sold in bulk to food processors -- there's only one company, Food Technology Service, Mulberry, Fla., dedicated entirely to irradiating food.
That facility, opened in anticipation of FDA approval of irradiation of chicken, is only operating at 10% capacity, said Pete Ellis, company president and chief executive officer. Its clients are largely food-service companies that want spices, produce and poultry treated.
"There needs to be a general acceptance of irradiated products from the consuming public," said Ellis, frustrated by how the practice is widely accepted in Europe and Japan, but not in the United States. "How many people need to die from E. coli-contaminated food before someone decides this is the right thing to do?"
Ellis and proponents of irradiation in the meat and poultry industries say the treatment can be part of processors' Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plans, the implementation of which is being mandated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for processors.
Congress three years ago passed HACCP legislation, considered by industry and consumer groups alike to be a huge step in preventing food contamination. With HACCP plans, points in production where contamination is most likely to occur are routinely scrutinized for cleanliness and product is tested for contamination.
Meat and poultry are already subjected to various treatments to rid them of contamination, ranging from high-pressured steam showers for beef to chlorine baths for poultry. Daniel Engeljohn, chief of the USDA's Standards Development Branch, envisions irradiation treatments incorporated in meat and poultry production lines, particularly for ground products.
"The agency views irradiation certainly as a technology that fits right into the HACCP concept," Engeljohn said. "The treated product still has to be cooked before it's eaten, but if the consumer inadvertently undercooks the product, the incidence of foodborne illness would be lower."
Some consumer groups, arguing the treatment's health and environmental risks outweigh its benefits, have mounted high-profile campaigns to let consumers know of their concerns. "When food is exposed to irradiation new chemicals are formed and there is serious depletion of vitamins and nutrients," said Jennifer Ferrara, associate director of Food & Water, Walden, Vt. "If companies really want to they can clean up their meat supplies without relying on irradiation."
According to the FDA, the levels of irradiation approved for food don't alter the nutritional value of food, but the treatment is still considered a form of processing.
While the food remains in its raw state, irradiation -- like heat pasteurization -- slightly cooks food. And though food is passed on a conveyor belt next to stainless steel rods of Cobalt 60, or other radioactive material, the exposure is so low the food doesn't unalterably change from the exposure, according to the FDA.
Perdue Farms, Salisbury, Md., would one day like to incorporate irradiation in its processing, but is waiting for demand to surface, according to a company spokeswoman.
"It is a safe technology. We have tested the science and we are very comfortable that it's a safe way to eliminate pathogens," the spokeswoman said. "We listen to our consumers and customers and at this point they're not interested in it. But we think it will happen one day."
A spokeswoman for 75-unit Whole Foods Market, Austin, Texas, which carries much organically grown food, said the chain doesn't want to carry irradiated products.
"There are still some concerns about irradiation and we're not totally convinced it is a method that should be used at this point," she said. "Obviously, food safety is a very complex issue, but irradiation hasn't been popular in the past."
Nevertheless, Isomedix, Whippany, N.J., the irradiation company that has asked the FDA to approve the treatment of beef, expects the technology eventually to become mainstream, according to George Dietz, senior vice president. Although its primary business is with medical supplies, Isomedix' 12 facilities irradiate exotic Hawaiian fruit sold in specialty markets and bulk spices.
"The consumer acceptance is growing, but I still think some of the major companies are intimidated by a couple of small groups of anti-food irradiation activists," Dietz said.
Associations representing the meat and poultry industries also cite consumer resistance to irradiated foods as the cause of the technology's lack of use.
"Every time we have a food-safety incident the question of irradiation comes up, is debated and then it fades away," said Bill Roenigk, vice president of the National Broiler Council here. But even if irradiation gains broader acceptance, it will be a long time before the technique could be employed because of the capital improvements needed for irradiation at plants, he said.
