Nope not trying to incite a riot here.  Overseas in many areas I have had irradiated foods including milk and meats.  Its a little strange being able to keep milk on the shelf for up to a year until you open it and having fresh as the day it was extracted.  Meats also, really nice steaks in vacuum pack but shelf stable.  In Australia and in the Philippines its common fare. I have not been able to find any in this country however.  The foods are irradiated with Cobalt.  In this country virtually all medical devices are now irradiated with Cobalt instead of sterilizing with steam or other heat methods.  Cobalt leave no particulate residue and you probably have a Cobalt facility near your home without even realizing it not to speak of all the medical facilities who use Cobalt for various things.  I know that I would enjoy being able to have great steaks on protracted trips.

I believe many of the Frozen, and Refrigerated meats in this country are irradiated, they just don't announce it. It is used as a back up pln for customer safety. Lysteria, and E Coli can be held at bay with good practices in manufacturing facilities. But there is always the chance that a couple slip through anytime you are working with live animals and dirt.

As for the shelf stability. I wasn't aware that this would work, now thats an interesting idea.

Wall-Mart has irradiated quarts of milk in the baking section.  Like you I first saw them in Europe.  You would think that with all the meat recalls lately it would be worth it to treat meat like this.

Like this was my first post Eh? 

Quote:


I think the misunderstanding and paranoia gets a big boost from the media and the growth of "blogs" on the Web.
The mostly Liberal media never met a negative story that it didn't love
If it bleeds, it leads is a media commandment.
The blogging phenomenon has increased the paranoia factor by allowing ANYONE qualified or not to spread half-truths or outright lies to bolster there case for whatever position they hold.
I'm not discounting the danger of radiation or nuclear power but every single advance by man has came at price and with a learning curve.
That's the price we pay for progress and in developing new technologies.
The ability to engineer and monitor complex and potentially dangerous technologies has never been greater and while there is always the danger of the technology outdistancing the ability to control it or calculate its impact, that's not a good enough reason to just ignore its benefits to mankind.
Every generation has wrestled with its doubts and fears but progress means learning from past mistakes and learning to balance the risk with the reward.
I mean if the FRENCH can embrace the nuclear power option and they have a problem with just about everything, then WE should take the lead and give the best of America's engineering and scientific minds the funds and freedom to usher a new energy age in, both nuclear and renewable and set us free from the Arab fossil fuel teat

I was sure $4.00/gall gas would get us building more nuc plants, wind plants.  Now i'm convinced I'm wrong.  Maybe $5/gall will?  Can't come soon enough in Wally's world.

Go nuclear!
Go solar!
Go wind!

(I've been hearing of major advances in thin film technology for solar panels with a sig cost decrease/watt generated.  Fact or Myth?  Anyone see the Spanish "solar" plant that puts out MEGA wattage?  Their building number two now I hear.)

SORRY....I'm good at derailing threads.  Yes, bring on the irradiated foods.  I'm all for it.