In 1997, with the encouragement of Dr. Michael Osterholm, former Minnesota State Epidemiologist, the Minnesota Beef Council began a comprehensive food irradiation education program that set the stage for the introduction of irradiated ground beef in May 2000. Irradiated ground beef became commercially available on May 16, 2000 when Huisken Meats introduced irradiated frozen beef patties in 84 Twin Cities stores. By Memorial Day, irradiated ground beef became available nationally through Schwan's home delivery system. By July 4th, Omaha Steaks, the supplier of premium quality beef products was marketing irradiated ground beef by mail order. Today, irradiated ground beef is available in thousands of supermarkets nationwide, home delivery, mail order, at restaurants and in a number of school lunch foodservice programs.
Michelle Torno and Ronald Eustice are nationally and internationally recognized experts on food irradiation. They have trained thousands of educators, opinion leaders, health professionals and others at more than 150 conferences, seminars, workshops and presentations on food irradiation in more than 30 states as well as Canada, Thailand, Brazil and Spain. The speakers believe that in the future, food irradiation will take its rightful place as the 4th Pillar of Public Health along side of pasteurization, immunization and chlorination.