Irradiation Education

Minnesota Moves Forward

Background: Irradiation is one of the most extensively tested methods of controlling food-borne pathogens. Researched for decades and approved by the World Health Organization and health authorities in 40 countries, use of the process has only recently gained major momentum in the United States. Food marketers and commodity groups have been slow to introduce irradiated foods because of concerns about consumer acceptance. Little was being done to put this proven technology to practical, widespread use until 1997, when a gigantic beef recall in Nebraska and a comprehensive consumer education effort in Minnesota helped ignite renewed interest in the use of irradiation to control pathogens in red meat, fresh fruits and vegetables.

A Time Of Concern: In 1997, stories about food-borne illness in fruit, vegetables and meat, but particularly E. coli 0157:H7  in ground beef, garnered national media attention. That August, an 0157:H7 contamination in Nebraska resulted in the largest U.S. ground beef recall ever. Within months, the processor, Hudson Foods was out of business. The stakes were high. This and other highly publicized cases had consumers, public health agencies and the beef industry in a tailspin. The incidents set off intense efforts in consumer education, rule making and research and development into methods to make the meat supply safer.

That was the backdrop when Michael Osterholm, then the Minnesota State Epidemiologist, contacted the Minnesota Beef Council (MBC) in fall 1997. Osterholm proposed that the MBC and his Minnesota Department of Health work together to make irradiated ground beef a commercial reality. He charged MBC with three tasks:

1. Learn more about the irradiation process;

2. Determine the existing level of support among producers, packers, retailers and the institutional trade for the commercial use;

3. Develop a strategy to educate the consumer about it.

Issues Forum: Together with Osterholm, the Minnesota Beef Council, began the education process by developing an issues forum on food safety in November 1997. Speakers and invitees to the forum included the Minnesota producer leadership as well as high-level executives from the food industry, meat packers, retailers and food service officials. Also included were irradiation technology experts, market researchers and public health experts. Osterholm presented the keynote address.

Participants at the forum learned about the history of foodborne illness, food safety and irradiation technology. The benefits and objections to irradiation were discussed. Irradiated ground beef was served for lunch, the first time it had ever been served in Minnesota. At the end of the day, there was unanimous agreement that irradiation was the way to go.

The Trail To Success: Irradiation of beef products gained FDA approval on Dec. 5, 1997. Soon after that MBC chairman Dennis Swan, MBC executive director, Ron Eustice and Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association president Glen Graff traveled to Ames, IA, where they met with Dennis Olson, director of Iowa State University's (ISU) Utilization Center for Agricultural Products. They toured the nation's first commercial-size research irradiation facility located on the ISU campus. When the trio returned to Minnesota, in Swan's trunk were 1,500 samples of frozen, irradiated ground beef patties from the ISU facility. Those samples, which were distributed in early February to attendees of the Minnesota Restaurant Association trade show in Minneapolis, were the first of more than 150,000 samples MBC staff and members would distribute at food industry trade shows, women's expos and fairs over the next two years. MBC staff and members cultivated relationships with media, working in tandem with health officials to deliver a positive message. No opportunity to promote irradiation was passed up. A series of press releases and newspaper editorials were developed and distributed to all state media. After a space shuttle launch, for instance, MBC issued a press release informing consumers that the astronauts' diet consisted of irradiated food. Irradiation information brochures were developed by MBC and at the 1999 Minnesota State Fair, Beef Council staff and member distributed more than 50,000 irradiated beef samples, provided by Excel, to fairgoers. At the 2000 Minnesota State Fair, another 28,000 samples, provided by Huisken Meats, were distributed.

Minnesota Moves Forward: In June 1999, a Food Irradiation Conference was held in Brooklyn Center, MN to provide public health officials and other community leaders with information and resources to prepare their communities to welcome irradiated food as an important food safety measure. The objectives of the conference were as follows:

1. Describe the food safety problems affecting Minnesota and other parts of the country.

2. Describe the process and effects of food irradiation and how it can improve food safety.

3. Differentiate truth from myth about how food irradiation works and the benefits and limitations of this new technology.

4. Provide information about benefits and risks of food irradiation to their community.

5. Step forward as community leaders to promote food irradiation to protect public health through improved food safety.

Approximately 250 food industry officials and public health professionals attended this two-day conference, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture which helped set the stage for the commercial introduction of irradiated ground beef eleven months later. Samples of irradiated ground beef and irradiated papaya were served to participants during the first day of the conference.

Making History In Minnesota: In May 2000, Huisken Meats, a third generation family owned business in Chandler, MN became the first company in the nation to market irradiated ground beef. It was introduced in 80 stores on May 16^th. By the Fourth of July distribution rose to 800 stores. Now four years  later, consumers can purchase Huisken irradiated ground beef patties in thousands of  stores. Irradiated ground beef is also being aggressively marketed in 48 states through Schwan's home delivery system.