As controversial a topic as fluoride and dental fillings, food irradiation is a relatively new item in a long list of debatable health topics. Although the procedure is not new, its approval for use with more foods has brought more controversy.

The purpose of irradiation food is to increase the shelf life. Although the Food and Drug Administration has declared food irradiation to be safe, some respected scientists have questioned the studies used by the FDA to reach their conclusion. Many see the big problem as one of nutrient loss in the foods irradiated. In general, the more the food is irradiated, the greater the nutrient loss. It's also been shown that irradiated foods have more than normal nutrient loss when they are frozen, thawed and heated. Is the trade-off of lower nutrient for longer shelf life worth it? And if many people already have lower nutrient intake (especially in the third world), is there enough concern over this issue?

Another genuine concern is safety in the area where foods are irradiated. Although the food itself is not radioactive, the materials used for the process are, with many plants in populated areas. Opponents cite the handling of these dangerous materials as a major issue not addressed by proponents.

One serious factor in this debate is free radical formation during the irradiation process. These substances, call unidentified radiolytic products or URPS, have been associated with the development of cancer. Irradiated foods contain relatively high levels of these carcinogens, such as nitrosamines and formaldehyde.

These and other issues regarding the safety of food irradiation are a concern to many people. As with so many other similar issues, one point which should be heard after the debate on food irradiation is over: if there is some solid scientific reason for opposing such processing of food, should we not avoid such a procedure until these questions are satisfactorily answered?

More on Food Irradiation...

In this Bridging the Gap, we discuss a published Letter to the Editor from G.L. Tritsch, Ph.D. of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (New York State Department of Health, Buffalo, NY 14263) published in the October 1992 issue of Nutrition Reviews. Dr. Tritsch discusses some of the published scientific literature on potential carcinogenic effects of food irradiation, and makes the following key points: 
… Irradiation of sucrose (sugar) produces formaldehyde, a carcinogenic substance. A significant amount of formaldehyde (.05 mg) is produced from only 30 mg of sucrose. 
… Irradiation of vegetable oil produces peroxides which form carcinogenic substances called benzopyrene quinone.
… Four out of five children fed irradiated wheat produce changes in their white blood cells which translate to a .08% incidence of lung cancer.