An estimated 76 million cases of foodborne disease, resultingin more than 325,000 hospitalizations and 5000 deaths, occurin the United States annually.1 Important sources of foodbornepathogens include contaminated produce and improperly cooked,handled, or stored meat and poultry products. The meat and poultryindustry's efforts at surveillance and intervention have reduced,but not eliminated, microbial contamination of meat and poultrycarcasses.2,3 Despite these efforts, consumers continue to havepreventable illnesses and even to die as a result of microbialcontamination of foods. The irradiation of food has the potentialto 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.
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N Engl J Med 2004;
351:402-403, Jul 22, 2004.
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McCally, M., Donohoe, M., Osterholm, M. T., Norgan, A. P., Thayer, D. W.
(2004). Irradiation of Food. NEJM
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