Food Irradiation Update is published by the Minnesota Beef Council

"In the protein market, for example, one frequent source of product recall has been ground beef. This is due to the unique difficulties in killing pathogens in the product. In response, Omaha Steaks has been irradiating (all) their ground beef since 2001 with overwhelming consumer acceptance. In fact, the company says many consumers will only buy their ground beef because they believe Omaha Steaks provides a safer product. Likewise, test-marketing of specific irradiated foods has shown that when consumers are educated about irradiation, approximately 80 percent will buy irradiated products."

“Spices — this is, I think, the emerging issue,” Michael Doyle said, noting that recent outbreaks are moving seasonings into a spotlight long focused on meats and produce. Doyle pointed to an outbreak involving black and red pepper from four Asian countries that sickened hundreds of Americans with Salmonella and was most closely linked to ready-to-eat sausages.
Michael P. Doyle, Ph.D., regents professor of food microbiology and director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.

In This Update:
Free for Educators: John Stossell 38 Minute DVD
Meat Industry Should Embrace irradiation
USDA gives green light to imports of sweet limes from Mexico
Attorney says regulation needed on rarer strains of the bacterium
Food safety experts cite spices, imported goods as top concern
The 'Holy Six' Strains of E. Coli That Many Experts Fear
Irradiation debate continue
Vietnamese dragon fruit get Chile, Korea access

Important Food Safety Links:

Kansas State University

Marler Blog

Food Irradiation Processing Alliance (FIPA)

Television personality John Stossel has released a free 38-minute DVD, includes six segments from Stossel's television programs. The segments were chosen and edited specifically for the classroom and are especially suitable for homeschoolers to spark thoughtful, engaging, curriculum-driven class discussions.

The 2011 Edition DVD includes six components including one on food irradiation. The on line description reads as follows:
Food Irradiation: Who should we believe when some people tell us food irradiation is bad and others tell us it's good? Are people who support food irradiation in the pockets of big business? Are the opponents just alarmist kooks? What about the science? What does it show? This segment looks at the debate over food irradiation. 

Here's what home schoolers get free with the 2011 EDITION STOSSEL IN THE CLASSROOM DVD:
Read more here.....

Mexican sweet lime suppliers have been granted access to the continental US market under a new phytosanitary protocol issued by the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS).

Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, USDA-APHIS said it believes the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the import of sweet limes from Mexico.  

Under the protocol, the sweet limes must be irradiated in accordance with 7 CFR part 305 with a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy.      

Each shipment of sweet limes must be inspected by the Mexican national plant protection organisation and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate declaring that the fruit received the required irradiation treatment. Read more here....

Food safety experts cite spices, imported goods as top concerns; Nation’s Restaurant News (September 21, 2010)

Spices and larger amounts of imported produce will emerge as food safety hot spots for restaurant operators in coming years, pedicted Michael P. Doyle, Ph.D., regents professor of food microbiology and director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. during the Food Safety Symposium in Charlotte, N.C.

At the same time, improved outbreak reporting systems are likely to thrust the restaurant industry into the public eye more often,
Doyle delivered the keynote address at the annual conference managed and produced by Nation’s Restaurant News and sponsored by Ecolab.

“Spices — this is, I think, the emerging issue,” Doyle said, noting that recent outbreaks are moving seasonings into a spotlight long focused on meats and produce. He pointed to an outbreak involving black and red pepper from four Asian countries that sickened hundreds of Americans with Salmonella and was most closely linked to ready-to-eat sausages. About 75 percent of U.S. spice imports come from eight countries: India, Indonesia, China, Brazil, Peru, Madagascar, Mexico and Vietnam, Doyle said. He added that the harvesting and storage practices in many of those countries leave much to be desired, however. Read more here......

The 'Holy Six' Strains of E. Coli That Many Experts Fear; Washington Post; (September 28, 2010):

WASHINGTON (Sept. 28) -- Many food safety experts have long called for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to control six other strains of E. coli besides the banned E. coli 0157 strain found in food.

"Not all of these Shiga toxin-producing E. coli are created equal. Some of those six are just as dangerous as E. coli 0157," said Dr. David Acheson, former assistant commissioner for food protection at the Food and Drug Administration and the nation's first "food safety czar." Read more here.....

Irradiation debate continues; Provisioner online (September 1, 2010):

The topic of food irradiation is one that stirs up controversy almost as easily as the use of instant replay for a sporting event or any discussion on the national debt. On some fundamental level, everyone can understand and agree that we must do something to control foodborne pathogens, but no one can agree on what that something is.
In the protein market, for example, one frequent source of product recall has been ground beef. This is due to the unique difficulties in killing pathogens in the product. In response, Omaha Steaks has been irradiating their ground beef since 2001 with overwhelming consumer acceptance. In fact, the company says many consumers will only buy their ground beef because they believe Omaha Steaks provides a safer product. Likewise, test-marketing of specific irradiated foods has shown that when consumers are educated about irradiation, approximately 80 percent will buy irradiated products.

Other food processors are also considering the use of irradiation to prevent product recalls and to meet government food-safety regulations. For the fresh fruit and vegetable industry, the control of pathogens and pests is particularly difficult because many of these products are eaten in their raw state. The recent incidents involving E. coli-contaminated lettuce and spinach have prompted the government to approve irradiation of these products.

Irradiation is also thought to be effective for pest control. Many fruits coming from outside of the U.S. must be fumigated to kill pests that might be on or inside the fruit. Ethyl bromide has been the chemical of choice for this application, but due to health concerns, its use is being phased out. 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.....