Food Irradiation Update is published by the Minnesota Beef Council

Quotable Quotes:
"The irradiation processing technology for food preservation with appropriate product specific doses helps in making food safe and free from microbial spoilage and insect infestation. Scientists and technologists need to synchronise the growth of irradiation processing plants and production of Cobalt-60 - a source used in food processing. We must also make the technologies farmer friendly."
Anil Kakodkar; Former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman.

“Omaha Steaks and Schwan’s irradiate 100% of their raw ground beef items and have done so since 2000.“Both companies have seen beef sales rise, however, the increase is not necessarily due to irradiation. But one can certainly conclude that the fact that they sell irradiated product has not been a negative. Wegmans Food Markets, Rochester, N.Y., proudly offers irradiated fresh-ground beef in chubs and has done so for many years.”
Ronald F. Eustice, Executive Director, Minnesota Beef Council

“The US market for food irradiation is expected to scale new heights in the near future, driven by enhanced efforts of the food industry to employ effective methodologies for preventing the spread of pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli. Though the market is still in a nascent stage, the technology's vast potential is expected to foster expansion of the global food supply market."
San Francisco Chronicle

In This Update:
Post-Harvest Tech Must Be Made Available to Farmers
Irradiation's Future Potential: The Technology is slowly making inroads
New FDA Powers: Wrong Remedy for Phony Crisis
Health Advisory: Beef Pet Food May Contain E. Coli
Global Food Irradiation Trends Market to Exceed US$145 Million by 2015
Vietnamese dragon fruit get Chile, Korea access;

Important Food Safety Links:

Kansas State University

Marler Blog

Food Irradiation Processors Alliance (FIPA)

MUMBAI, INDIA: Post-harvest food processing technologies should be made a part of the farmers' cooperative movement to improve food safety and the economic status of the cultivators, former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Anil Kakodkar said today.

"Food processing technologies developed by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) should have their place in farmers' cooperatives so that they reap the appropriate benefit and help in stopping wastage of cultivated food and improve their economic status," Kakodkar said in his presidential address at a day-long meeting of Indian Nuclear Society (INS).

The irradiation processing technology for food preservation with appropriate product specific doses helps in making food safe and free from microbial spoilage and insect infestation, he said.

"Scientists and technologists need to synchronise the growth of radiation processing plants and production of Cobalt-60 - a source used in food processing," Kakodkar said adding, "We must also make the technologies farmer friendly."
Read more here......

Spanning some150 pages, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act would authorize the FDA to dictate how farmers grow fruits and vegetables, including rules governing soil, water, hygiene, packing, temperatures, and even what animals may roam which fields and when. It would also increase inspections of food “facilities” and tax them to do so. And, fulfilling the dream of a long line of agency officials, the bill grants the FDA unilateral authority to order recalls.

History has repeatedly shown that science and technology have delivered the greatest advances in food safety. Pasteurization, water disinfection, and retort canning, for example, freed consumers from food transmission of botulism, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and cholera. And it was the food industry, not regulators, that first standardized quality grading and pathogen elimination processes. More recently, irradiation and bioengineering have also helped to destroy pathogens and extend product shelf-life. Were it not for alarmist opposition to both, consumer acceptance would likely be greater—bringing with it broader health benefits. Read more here.....

Health advisory – Beef pet food made by Surrey Meat Packers, may contain E. coli O157:H7 bacteria (November 10, 2010):

OTTAWA, ONTARIO: November 10, 2010 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) are warning the public not to use the Beef Pet Food described below because it may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. People may become infected with the bacteria by handling the pet food directly or by contact with pets that have consumed the food. Note that pet food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 may not look or smell spoiled.
The affected Beef Pet Food was made by Surrey Meat Packers, Cloverdale, British Columbia. The affected product was sold frozen in 500g blocks assembled in 10-unit and 50-unit packages from October 8 to 23 inclusively at the following locations:
1. Surrey Meat Packers, 6050-176th Street, Cloverdale, BC; and,
2. Jolly Meats and Fine Foods, 111 Charles Street, North Vancouver, BC.

The affected product may not bear a label indicating packing date or a Best Before date. Consumers who suspect they may have purchased the affected product are advised to check with stores where the product was purchased. Any affected product should be thrown out.
The contamination of Beef Pet Food was identified during a food safety investigation of some beef trims being conducted by the CFIA. That investigation is on-going to identify affected food products and possible consumer warnings. Consumer warnings are available at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/recaltoce.shtml

SAN FRANCISCO: Food irradiation is an advanced technology used for preserving food products, which offers several benefits over conventional sanitation and preservation techniques. Globally, a wide array of food products including apples, onions, potatoes, strawberries, spices and seasonings, fish, poultry, grains, bananas, mangoes, frog legs, fish, and meat have been irradiated for several years. Presently, the amount of food being irradiated is significantly small when compared to the overall proportion of food consumed globally.

Enormous food losses owing to spoilage and insect infestation favor the adoption of irradiation technology, which is capable of reducing such losses and minimizing reliance on harmful pesticides. Growing concerns over food-borne disease outbreaks caused by pathogenic bacteria such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and Trichinae, and the need for complying with international standards of quality in an increasingly globalized world are also expected to fuel the adoption of food irradiation technology. Irradiation of food products is a potential technology for countries looking for alternatives to fumigation and other similar treatment processes. Irradiation technology is emerging as a potential solution for managing post-harvest issues associated with horticulture in both developed and developing countries.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/28/prwebprweb4708674.DTL#ixzz16D4vIK2l

Global Food Irradiation Trends Industry; (October 2010)

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Food Irradiation Trends in US$ Million. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Europe, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2007 through 2015. A seven-year historic analysis is also provided for these markets. The report profiles 18 companies including many key and niche players such as Food Technology Service, Inc., GRAY*STAR, Inc., IONISOS SA, MDS Nordion, PHYTOSAN S.A. de C.V, REVISS Services (UK) Limited, SADEX Corporation, ScanTech Sciences, Inc., Sterigenics International, Inc., and STERIS Isomedix Services. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are mostly extracted from URL research and reported select online sources.
Read more here.....

Vietnamese dragon fruit get Chile, Korea access; By Tom Bicknell; fruitnet.com; (October 6, 2010):

Chile and South Korea have granted access to Vietnamese dragon fruit, adding momentum to the growing industry

Vietnamese dragon fruit have reportedly gained access to Chile and South Korea subject to irradiation or heat treatment and registration of orchards. The new market access will add momentum to the already rapidly-growing Vietnamese dragon fruit sector. The country’s dragon fruit exports have quadrupled to the US so far this year. Read more here.....