Is Our Food Dangerous?

War on Food Rages On - Everyday Is a Knife Fight

It may surprise you to learn that many foods sold at your local supermarket may be irradiated. Food irradiation involves the application of ionizing radiation to food for the purpose of extending shelf life and improving safety. The irradiation process, apparently, eliminates any microorganisms or insects that may be present.

Don’t Worry - Irradiation Doesn’t Make Your Food Radioactive

According to the CDC, the “safety and efficacy” of the food irradiation process are endorsed by the relevant federal agencies and intergovernmental organizations. Well, what a relief! Carry on, nothing to see here.

Is your produce irradiated? (Source: Unsplash.com)

For those of you harboring concerns that irradiation may leave your food slightly radioactive, just stop it. The FDA assures concerned conspiracy theorists citizens that “…irradiation does not make foods radioactive, compromise nutritional quality, or noticeably change the taste, texture, or appearance of food.” That last bit, beginning with the qualifier “noticeably,” that’s clever wording. The most trustworthy, non-corrupt agency ever continues by stating:

“In fact, any changes made by irradiation are so minimal that it is not easy to tell if a food has been irradiated.” (Source: see FDA link above)

What Foods Typically Undergo Irradiation?

A variety of food products undergo the process of irradiation and the list of irradiated food categories keeps growing. This includes fresh meat, grains, fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, poultry, eggs, shellfish, and seeds for sprouting.

Since it’s very difficult to tell whether your food has been irradiated by visual inspection, the FDA requires that irradiated foods bear the “Radura” symbol on the label, or in the case of fresh produce, a sticker.

Radura symbol indicating irradiated food (Source: FDA.gov)

Such a nice looking little symbol. If you didn’t know better, what would you guess it symbolizes? Happy healthy growth in the sunshine? The FDA does not require multi-ingredient foods to carry the label.

Another factoid to consider comes straight from another ‘highly trustworthy’ organization — the EPA, which states:

“Foods which have been irradiated, no matter how they are grown or produces, cannot be labeled as USDA certified organic.”

Well isn’t that interesting?

Food Safety Concerns Associated with Irradiation

The Center For Food Safety website details additional facts about the process. According to the site, the process uses “high-energy Gamma rays, electron beams, or X-rays (all of which are millions of times more powerful than standard medical X-rays) to break apart the bacteria and insects that can hide in meat, grains, and other foods.”

Far from being a benign treatment causing no discernible changes in foods, radiation has potential to alter what you eat in many ways. The same website says radiation can create substances known as “unique radiolytic products.” These are byproducts of the irradiation process, which include numerous mutagens.

Food Safety (eye roll)

These mutagens have the potential to “…cause gene mutations, polyploidy (an abnormal condition in which cells contain more than two sets of chromosomes), chromosome abberations (often associated with cancerous cells), and dominant lethal mutations (a change in a cell that prevents it from reproducing) in human cells.” (Source)

Speaking of carcinogens and birth defects, research cited on the Center for Food Safety website shows that irradiation can cause the formation of dangerous chemical byproducts like benzene, toluene, dioxins, and others.

Get to Know Your Friendly Local Food Producers

Unfortunately, your favorite supermarket likely sells a LOT of irradiated food products — many of which (most?) are not required to carry that cute little label. Take meat, for instance. The majority of big industry produced meat (i.e. feedlot) package at the grocery story contain cuts of meat from a variety of different cows. Since this is technically “multi-ingredient,” these packages do not need to indicate irradiation.

Howdy darlin’! How about some grass-fed beef? (Source: Unsplash.com)

The only way to ensure your meat is pure and healthy is by getting to know a local producer who raises grass-fed, steroid free, antibiotic free animals. Cut out the middle man and buy straight from the farm. It’ll cost a little more, but it tastes so much better and — bonus — you won’t be serving feedlot raised, unhappy, drug riddled, irradiated meat to your family.

As always, I advise growing whatever you can, regarding produce, yourself. If you can cultivate some herbs on the back porch and maybe a tomato plant and cucumber vine, or two, you’ll be hooked. Those three things are like the gateway drug of self-sufficient food growing obsession. Once you get a little something growing, you can fill in the gaps with produce from your local farmer’s market.

And…no excuses if you live in a subdivision with a tyrannical HOA…

Challenge for You and Me!

A little challenge is good for everyone, so let’s get to it! Brought to you by the Hot Pants Farming Club:

If you’re so inclined, take a little extra time when visiting your supermarket in the next couple of weeks and see if you can spot any Radura symbols on produce and other foods. If you see any, please take a photo and share it with us via Notes! I’ll be sharing what I find, if I find any.

I heard from a friend in another state, that the labels are often missing from irradiated produce at his local grocery stores. When he asks the manager, he usually claims the stickers “probably fell off.” Really? My friend suspects that the facility tasked with affixing the labels simply failed to do so. Who knows? It’s only speculation, but I know there’s a LOT of irradiated food in stores all over the US. Where are the stickers?

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