The Truth about Food: Why
Irradiation is Not the Answer
In a flagrant insult to both journalism and nutritional
science, 20/20`s John Stossel heavily touted irradiation -
exposing food to radiation in order to kill any microorganisms,
bacteria, viruses, or insects that may be present in the food -
as the only way to ensure the safety of our food supply.
During a biased and unscientific segment entitled "Are
Anti-Irradiation Watch Groups Making Our Food Less Safe?,"
Stossel reported that irradiation protects consumers from food
poisoning by killing dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and
salmonella and insinuated that consumer health groups are
harming consumers by making them wary of irradiated food. What
he failed to mention was that radiation destroys living enzymes
in wholesome foods like spinach and strawberries, stripping
them of their nutritional value. Considering that people don`t
eat enough nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables to begin with,
the last thing the food industry should do is make healthy
foods less beneficial.
Unfortunately, because the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) does not have a firm grasp on the benefits
of phytonutrients, it is in favor of irradiation. Sterilizing
fresh produce will turn live foods into dead foods. While
exposing fruits and vegetables to radiation will reduce the
incidence of food-borne illnesses, it also reduces the
healthfulness of these foods. The dangers of irradiation far
outweigh the potential benefits.
Tainted Meat, Toxic Choices
Instead of "nuking" our food to prevent food poisoning, health
officials should be urging people to make smarter food choices.
There are approximately 75 million cases of food poisoning each
year in the U.S. alone, and about 5,000 of these cases are
fatal. The USDA has reported that 70 percent of food poisoning
is caused by contaminated meat.
Fruits and vegetables don`t naturally harbor harmful bacteria
like E. coli or salmonella. When produce becomes contaminated,
it`s usually because animal manure was used to fertilize crops
or it leaked into waterways. (Fruits and veggies can also be
cross contaminated if they`re placed on the same surface as
meat, or if they`re handled by someone who passes bacteria
along through poor hygiene.)
Because food poisoning is commonly caused by contaminated meat,
the USDA allows irradiated meat to be served to school
children, who are particularly susceptible to food-borne
illnesses. Serving children irradiated meat in order to prevent
food-related illnesses is like giving them low-tar cigarettes
and claiming that they`re healthier than regular
cigarettes.
Meat is just not "safe" to eat; it can cause high cholesterol,
high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and
weight problems. Meat can also contain antibiotics and
hormones. Irradiating meat may give consumers the false
impression that they are eating "clean" food. Some consumer
watchdog groups even fear that meat companies may be less
careful about removing fecal material because of the use of
irradiation.
If the USDA allows healthy food to be irradiated, genetically
manipulated, or otherwise "tampered with," we`ll have nothing
left to eat but chemically-altered, nutrient-devoid,
disease-producing, overly-processed junk. Then we`ll all have
serious health problems that irradiation certainly can`t
solve.
Allison Melody Biggar is the creator of Holistic Voice. To
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