Why is food irradiation such a polarized issue?
It seems that for every person or organization that is supporting food irradiation you can find someone or some group who is opposing it. For example the World Health Organization has given food irradiation the green light but the International Organization of Consumers’ Unions opposes it. The American and Canadian Medical Association took stands in the 1980’s supporting food irradiation with some restrictions yet the British Medical Association opposed food irradiation. Certainly some of the proponents have a vested interest, such as those involved in the nuclear industry, given that much of food irradiation is a nuclear technology. However, politics aside, the cattle, hog and poultry industries are recognizing the need to improve the safety of their meat and to reduce water contamination. But in our anxiousness to find solutions we must be careful to not go backwards and create another, larger problem.
