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Previous Volume 350:1898-1901 April 29, 2004 Number 18 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

	Full Text PDF PDA Full Text Purchase this article Perspective by Thayer, D. W. Letters Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited E-mail When Letters Appear PubMed Citation

An estimated 76 million cases of foodborne disease, resulting in more than 325,000 hospitalizations and 5000 deaths, occur in the United States annually.¹ Important sources of foodborne pathogens include contaminated produce and improperly cooked, handled, or stored meat and poultry products. The meat and poultry industry's efforts at surveillance and intervention have reduced, but not eliminated, microbial contamination of meat and poultry carcasses.^2,3 Despite these efforts, consumers continue to have preventable illnesses and even to die as a result of microbial contamination of foods. The irradiation of food has the potential to decrease the incidence of foodborne disease dramatically. It . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Technology of Food Irradiation

The Status of Food Irradiation

Food Irradiation and Public Health

Limitations of Irradiation

Arguments by Opponents

Future Opportunities

Source Information

From the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (M.T.O., A.P.N.) and the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota (M.T.O.) — both in Minneapolis.

Related Letters:

Irradiation of Food
McCally M., Donohoe M., Osterholm M. T., Norgan A. P., Thayer D. W.
Extract | Full Text | PDF  
N Engl J Med 2004; 351:402-403, Jul 22, 2004. Correspondence

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