Food irradiation can save thousands of lives each year

By Lenka Kollar

Have you ever had food poisoning? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 6 people get food poisoning each year in the United States and that 3000 die from foodborne illness. Food irradiation can drastically decrease these numbers by killing harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella in meat and produce. The U.S. government endorses the use of food irradiation, but does not educate the public about its benefits so it had not caught on because consumers fear that radiation will mutate the food. In fact, food irradiation is safe and does not alter the nutritional content of produce and meat. 

Read my full article on food irradiation at the ANS Nuclear Cafe…

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