U.S. Food Irradiation

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Irradiation: A Gross Failure

Borne from the strange “Atoms for Peace” program of the 1950‚ that created the nuclear-heated coffee pot, food irradiation was part of a government-led effort to put a pretty face on the nuclear industry. In recent decades, food irradiation has been promoted as the miracle cure
for a food industry beset by food safety problems. However, food irradiation, where food is exposed to gamma rays, x-rays, or electron-beams to kill off bacteria, creates its own problems. Recent studies have shown that irradiating food may promote cancer development, cause genetic damage, and deplete vitamins. Simply put, irradiating food is a
Band-Aid for the much larger problem of poor sanitation in
slaughterhouses and processing plants, which causes food-borne illness.

Consumers, meanwhile, have shunned irradiated food, leading to its disappearance from the
marketplace. Make sure it stays out of your stores and schools by taking action through our site! Nationwide, residents have fought the presence of these risky irradiation facilities in their neighborhoods and parents have rejected irradiated food in school lunches.

Learn more: Irradiation in the Production, Processing, and Handling of Food