Dive Brief:
- Food irradiation is growing in popularity as a method of preventing foodborne illness, though many consumers are still put off by the concept.
- Hundreds of studies confirm that "irradiation neither adds compounds to food nor takes nutrients away," according to Mother Jones. Several government agencies, including the USDA, CDC, and the World Health Organization have approved the technology as being safe for the food supply.
- Food manufacturers could employ this technique in the future to prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses, which sicken 48 million Americans and kill 3,000 every year. However, the technology is expensive to install, and shipping products to radiation treatment facilities can drive up costs as well. Though doing irradiation themselves could help drive down costs over time, according to Harlan Clemmons, the head of an Iowa irradiation facility.
Dive Insight:
While food companies are always looking for ways to cut down on the risk of contamination of their products, it may still be a little early for this particular technology, as irradiation hasn't necessarily been accepted as safe by consumers. However, as more information about food irradiation spreads and consumers understand the benefits and safety implications of it, irradiation may become a more viable option for manufacturers.
However, some groups, such as Food and Water Watch, are concerned about manufacturers implementing this technology, but not necessarily because of the safety of the irradiation itself. Instead, these groups fear that manufacturers could employ irradiation in place of a clean, safe facility, which may cause safety risks that even irradiation can't prevent.
"You can't make bad food good using irradiation. If your plant is dirty and not inspected and overtaxed, the food is going to be bad in a way that irradiation can't fix," Rick Holley, a food microbiologist and irradiation expert at the University of Manitoba, told Mother Jones.