Food Poisoning

keenon

Seems like a good spot to post this

FDA has announced just such a rule to weaken labeling of irradiated foods.


Currently, irradiated food must be labeled as "Treated with irradiation" or "Treated by radiation" and must display the irradiated "radura" symbol. But now, in yet another attempt to appease industry at the expense of the public, the FDA has proposed a new rule that would allow irradiated food to be marketed in some cases without any labeling at all. In other cases, the rule would allow the terms "electronically pasteurized" or "cold pasteurized" to replace the use of "irradiated" on labels. These terms are not used by scientists, but rather are designed to fool consumers about what's been done to their food.


What is Food Irradiation?
Food irradiation 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. Radiation can do strange things to food, by creating substances called "unique radiolytic products." These irradiation byproducts include a variety of mutagens - substances that can cause gene mutations, polyploidy (an abnormal condition in which cells contain more than two sets of chromosomes), chromosome aberrations (often associated with cancerous cells), and dominant lethal mutations (a change in a cell that prevents it from reproducing) in human cells. Making matters worse, many mutagens are also carcinogens.


Research also shows that irradiation forms volatile toxic chemicals such as benzene and toluene, chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer and birth defects. Irradiation also causes stunted growth in lab animals fed irradiated foods. An important 2001 study linked colon tumor promotion in lab rats to 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACB's), a new chemical compound found only in irradiated foods. The FDA has never tested the safety of these byproducts. Irradiation has also been shown to cause the low-level production of furans (similar to cancer-causing dioxins) in fruit juice.


READ MORE
http://www. centerforfoodsafety. org/food_irrad. cfm
http://www. wholefoodsmarket. com/foodsafety/irradiation. html

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
http://www. regulations. gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=09000064806d2f95

tiersten

Don't cook your food then since that will create toxic substances as well.

dynamik

tiersten wrote:

Don't cook your food then since that will create toxic substances as well.

Totally agree. When fats melt and hits something with a high temperature, such as an element or coal (grill), it produces a carcinogen. I eat my steaks raw now, just to be safe

networker050184

I just stopped eating all together.

On a serious note, I have always been a fan of organic foods. You never know with all those processed foods.

tiersten

networker050184 wrote:

On a serious note, I have always been a fan of organic foods. You never know with all those processed foods.

Yeah. The organic stuff usually looks ugly in comparison but does taste better or in the case of some things like tomatos, actually has a taste.

Plantwiz

networker050184 wrote:

I just stopped eating all together.

On a serious note, I have always been a fan of organic foods. You never know with all those processed foods.

I prefer my food to contain carbon too! :P Although processed foods contain carbon, so that would put them into the organic category

Aldur

dynamik wrote:

tiersten wrote:

Don't cook your food then since that will create toxic substances as well.

Totally agree. When fats melt and hits something with a high temperature, such as an element or coal (grill), it produces a carcinogen. I eat my steaks raw now, just to be safe

You will lead the next world revolution!

bertieb

networker050184 wrote:

I just stopped eating all together.

Hehehe. You should write a new diet book 'Networker's Nutrition'.
This actually makes a lot more sense than most diets that are out there!

keenon

i've actually started down the path to be a vegetarian.. i have cut out pork and beef at this point and eating all organic. but here's more info for those that wish to know.

http://www.mindfully.org/Food/Food-Last-Forever-1.htm

also read the detail about if the irradiated food is not in its original form they don't have to label it. in short if the irradiated potatoes are converted to instant potatoes no label is required


going to build me a garden

networker050184

keenon wrote:

going to build me a garden

I'm right behind you. I have been wanting to grow my own fruits and vegetables for a while. I've just been to busy to get around to it.

shednik

I just try to stay away from processed foods all together another +1 for organic foods and veggies!!

sprkymrk

You should also read about food that is microwaved vs. food that is cooked on the stove. They say the best way is to steam your food.

All this is precisely why I stick with twinkies and coffee. The breakfast of champions!

RussS

tiersten wrote:

networker050184 wrote:

On a serious note, I have always been a fan of organic foods. You never know with all those processed foods.

Yeah. The organic stuff usually looks ugly in comparison but does taste better or in the case of some things like tomatos, actually has a taste.

That is true - nothing has a better taste than tomatoes grown in excretement .... unnn, I mean manure

One thing to be aware with organic produce though - there have been many cases of campylobacter and other fungal diseases found around organic produce. This is quite often caused by the use of untreated, or incorrectly treated effluent.