Sheesh. Here is another Gem that just sparkles with… you know, cow dung!
A “well respected” doctor has recently gone on the record as stating to not be afraid of irradiated food. He believes the process will kill disease-causing pathogens, makes meat, poultry, eggs, vegetables and fruit safer.
The point is that there is no possible way that the FDA can get to all that food entering into the country to inspect it. There may even be disease-causing pathogens in there. The answer? IRRADIATE IT!
I have news for these folks. Salmonella poisoning is caused by the TOXINS the Salmonella bacteria gives off. Irradiating the food does not guarantee that the food will not be cross-contaminated with another, handled by someone who does not wash their hands, or fall on the floor. What irradiating food WILL do is introduce another untested dimension to our food.
Sure, the “experts” say that it is safe. Nothing could happen, right?
Here is what you can do to make sure that your food is safe, WITHOUT irradiating it:
- Wash your food. This is an important step. You do not know where it came from, so this just makes sense.
- Wash your hands when you prepare food, in between tasks, after the bathroom, etc. There is no better way than to introduce some food-borne illnesses than by preparing that salad after doing a #2. Eww!
- Keep your area clean while you prepare your food. This will prevent accidental cross-contamination. Clear out your butting board you just hacked the lobster on before you start chopping up ingredients for the salad.
- Know where your produce comes from. If it comes from a third-world country, and is grown in manure of suspect animals, then it may not be safe. You may ask how to get that info. Easy. Ask the produce manager.
- Keep your items in the safe zone while storing them. This means that your cold foods need to be stored below 4°C or 40°F. Hot foods need to be stored above 60°C or 140°F. Anything in between promotes bacterial growth, thus the toxins that kill you.
- Finally, DON’T buy irradiated food. There is no reason for it, and it cannot guarantee that it is safe. I know that Dr. Oz says different, but he has been wrong on other occasions as well.
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I like the imaginative way that you’ve included Darren’s Ideas into your website. I’ll be back
OK – *you* don’t buy irradiated meat – but why not allow it to be sold and let *me* decide whether or not to purchase?
Thank you for your comment Dave. The point of the post is not to say it should not be available, but to follow steps so you do not have to buy it. The other point is, you soon may have no choice, as legislation will ensure that all food is irradiated. In that case you would have to buy it.
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