Would irradiation replace other food borne disease prevention efforts?
Irradiation is not a short cut that means food hygiene efforts can be relaxed. Many steps need to be taken from farm to table to make sure that our food supply is clean and safe. Irradiation is a major step forward, but it does not replace other important efforts, including efforts to improve sanitation on the farm and in the food processing plant. For irradiation to be effective, the food that is to be irradiated already needs to be clean. The more initial contamination there is, the higher dose of irradiation it would take to eliminate possible pathogens, and the greater the change in the taste and quality of the food. The protection of irradiation will be overcome if the contamination levels are too high. The same is true for pasteurized milk. To be pasteurized, milk must be produced in regulated dairy farms, and must be of Grade A quality. Milk that is less than Grade A is not pasteurized for direct sale as milk. Thus, irradiation of food is an important additional step for added s
