Scary word trumps reason

[Roger Ramjets]

I'm worried about this, we know that radiation kills the "good bacteria" too. The slaughter of billions of helpful bacteria just to kill the bad bacteria is like the drone strikes that will cause another 911

Don't be silly. Everybody knows that there is no such thing as 'good' bacteria. We know this due to being constantly bombarded with adverts for cleaning products that get rid of all germs!

But seriously, it might eventually become a problem if irradiation was applied indiscriminately, and everybody ate only irradiated foods and nothing else. In that case we might have to start sharing our poop. Oh wait...

 

[Joey McGee]

It's like George Carlin said, you know when I wash my hands? When I **** on them! NSFW

Irradiating food sounds as bad as pasteurizing milk which also kills the good bacteria. If we didn't clean our vegetables we'd get all the b12 we needed from dirt and insects.

 

[marplots]

It's like George Carlin said, you know when I wash my hands? When I **** on them! NSFW

Irradiating food sounds as bad as pasteurizing milk which also kills the good bacteria. If we didn't clean our vegetables we'd get all the b12 we needed from dirt and insects.

We love scary food stories. I seem to remember something about cooking in aluminum pans a few years ago...

 

[Roger Ramjets]

How long should we let the rest of the world run the experiment before we accept it may save some lives here?

We're not. Plenty of food sold in the US is irradiated, you just just know about it.

Perhaps more producers should be using irradiation to eliminate pathogens from their products, but in a capitalist economy that is a decision each business must make for themselves. Some may believe that their current treatments are sufficient, others may simply take the risk. The alternative would be for the government to make irradiation mandatory, but that would be an unacceptable intrusion into our freedoms!

 

[marplots]

If they sold a portable irradiator, could I use it to sterilize my counter tops? This might help me overcome my aversion.

 

[Aepervius]

Speaking mostly from ignorance, my thought is that there is beneficial bacteria in whatever is being treated, and the effects of those being destroyed also has not been determined.

So you should stop cooking your food, or boiling stuff, because they kill both the good and the bad bacteria alike...

Think about it, do you know any way we preserve or prepare food today which would make the "sorting" of good or bad bacteria ? Beside intentional fermentation, all food preparation I know does not distinguish either. So really I am not sure this can be used as a criteria against irradiation...

 

[Myriad]

The sensible argument against irradiated food is that the increased durability will be used to stock food longer, and the effects of that is unknown (there will be chemical processes in the stored food).

Also an issue with canned food.

Also, the fact that food was once sterilized is no guarantee that it will stay that way.

Also an issue with canned food.

One potential problem is that seriously infected foodstuffs might be irradiated and marketed as "clean". The problem is what is called 'bioburden': Even dead bacteria can make you sick because your immune system reacts to the proteines of the dead micro organisms.

Possibly less of an issue with canned food, because canning involves heating the **** out of the food while irradiation doesn't. However, some toxins are not destroyed by this heat.

Another is that, just like with antibiotics, irresponsible use may lead to resistance: If you don't irradiate effectively enough, the most resistant organisms survive and procreate, thus generating a population of radiation resistant germs.

Also an issue with canned food.

(By the way, not disagreeing with Hans overall, this post just had the most complete list of possible issues.)


It would be nice, just from an energy standpoint, to be able to cut way down on the use of refrigeration.

What would really be great is if I could get irradiated yeast. I'm tired of my jar of yeast expiring before I use it all. If it were irradiated, not only would it last for years, but with any luck we could get individual yeast cells the size of marbles, which would make nutritious snacks.

 

[Joey McGee]

We love scary food stories. I seem to remember something about cooking in aluminum pans a few years ago...

Yeah, scary stuff, almost as bad as smoking crack from a pop can, the vaporized aluminum oxide is bad for your brain.

 

[Dr. Keith]

We're not. Plenty of food sold in the US is irradiated, you just just know about it.

I thought there was a quote up thread citing a marking statute. Are you referring to ingredients that aren't covered by the marking statute?

Perhaps more producers should be using irradiation to eliminate pathogens from their products, but in a capitalist economy that is a decision each business must make for themselves. Some may believe that their current treatments are sufficient, others may simply take the risk. The alternative would be for the government to make irradiation mandatory, but that would be an unacceptable intrusion into our freedoms!

I think the OP was bemoaning the fact that the government has done nothing to add educational material about irradiating and that there are organizations spreading misinformation about irradiating. Surely those two issues could be addressed to make room for producers to use safer technology without intruding on our freedoms.

Besides, its not really the producers who take the risks because food poisoning is so hard to track down. It is us, the consumers.

 

[mijopaalmc]

Assuming that the irradiated food is not directly contaminated by the material being used to irradiate it (e.g. uranium or thorium mixing with your peas and carrots), the food itself does not become radioactive and the biocidal effects of irradiation are mediated through the transient creation of free radicals and DNA lesions, right?

In other words, it is extremely unlikely that biocidal agents generated by irradiation do not cause radiation or a persistent threat to consumers.

 

[fuelair]

What is really annoying about this is that I first heard about it in the '60s in a high school assembly. As a science/SF fan I knew quite enough about radiation to know A)it would work well and B) it indeed would not be dangerous unless you stepped in the path of the radiation - which would be some difficult even if you worked in the plant. And then heard nothing about it for long years until the ignorant scare-monger popped up with all the **** they have popped up with. I tend to say - if they do not want it let them starve or grow their own food - I like the concept of much safer to eat. Silly me.........

Note: for some of the ignorant you can blame Spiderman and the equivalent. If not sure why, think it out carefully.

 

[Rolfe]

Chocky wasn't post-apocalyptic. The Chrysalids was, but I don't think atoms ever came up in that book.

I think you're right, it's The Chrysalids I was thinking of. Now I'm going to have to go through the book looking for that passage! Of course it might have been in some other book entirely.

Rolfe.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm worried about this, we know that radiation kills the "good bacteria" too.

So does cooking.

Rolfe.

 

[Rolfe]

Why exactly is not getting rid of toxins a reasonable argument against irradiation when the purpose of irradiation is purely to kill any micro-organisms that may be present? That is sort of like saying you shouldn't mow the lawn because you can't get rid of molehills that way...

Because the toxins will make you ill. Killing the bacteria after they have produced the toxins is pointless. This isn't a complete no-no for the technique obviously but it is something that has to be into consideration.

Rolfe.

 

[marplots]

Does irradiation promote chemical reactions? Are these reactions (if any) of a type that will create new compounds? Are these safe?

 

[Rolfe]

There has been some concern that vitamins might be inactivated, if I recall correctly.

Rolfe.

 

[Turgor]

Because the toxins will make you ill. Killing the bacteria after they have produced the toxins is pointless. This isn't a complete no-no for the technique obviously but it is something that has to be into consideration.

Rolfe.

Well, sure, if you misuse a tool you will not get the wanted results.

 

[Cuddles]

But we don't call X-rays 'light'

Yes we do.

 

[Foolmewunz]

It's ridiculous but in a society where people are concerned that microwaving food may leave it with dangerous radiation, it's not such a surprise. Maybe radiation could be re-branded to give it a natural-sounding name like "light purification" or some such nonsense.

Newspeak doesn't go down too well.

Oh, I dunno, the makers of Canola Oil seem to have had some success.

 

[Darth Rotor]

Back in the 70's the scare mongering (green) scum went after nuclear power. This is the same book, different chapter.