Nuclear device for the kitchen, yes really

It's already being done here in the U.S., at least for military meals. Seal in plastic, then irradiate.

I don't know what type of radiation is being used.

Of course it's being resisted for use in public consumption by the loonie greenies, but it's certainly the correct answer for food preservation AND stopping food-borne illness.

I sometimes think there should be a bounty offered for loonie greenies, after all they ARE a terrorist group ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Any radiation which effectively penetrates a chunk of food and kills bacteria in it will likely penetrate a chunk of person and kill cells. I don't think there is any real hope of a solution here.

I deleted all the groups except sed.

X-rays sound slightly more promising, but the power issue will be a show stopper, I think.

Anyway, I am deeply skeptical that food spoilage is a health, rather than a commercial, issue. There are lots of ways to preserve foods which require no energy source. Foods which can't be preserved don't have to be eaten.

And it may be better to inoculate food with known strains of bacteria than to sterilize it anyway. Sterilizing food is like tilling a field and then not planting it. You will get weeds.

--Mac

In the US, spices are commonly zapped to kill bugs, and some other foods, I think. They use either gammas from an radioisotope source, or electrons from an accelerator. Google 'food irradiation' or something.

Zapping chicken and certain seafoods would probably save a thousand lives for every cancer produced.

John

Of course there is. I thought this was a sci == SCIENCE group

There was an attempt to produce vine ripened tomatoes... remember how they used to taste straight from the garden?

Then they would be irradiated to stop all further bacterial action while they were in the delivery-to-stores cycle.

The loonie greenies had a cow.

You probably eat canned asparagus? Gack!

Now that's an absolute dumb-s*it statement. Damn! You must be a loonie greenie ;-)

Greenies should inoculated to render them sterile ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Some products have been already, like MRE's (meals-ready-to-eat).

The typical way veggies are handled: Washed, sealed, irradiated.

Yes.

Yes.

They have, but the loonie greenies, just like Demoncrats, shout over reality.

That's the game the loonie greenies have successfully played :-(

...Jim Thompson

And to WHAT are you referring? ------^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

My sig separator seems to be working perfectly with other responders.

...Jim Thompson

Spoken like a true scientist, spout the loonie-greenie line without absolute facts, just suppositions.

May you get food poisoning from today's meal ;-)

...Jim Thompson

There are lots of commercial food irradiation systems, and some are in regular use. There are obvious public health benefits, especially in developing countries, and massive political problems.

I call it New Shrieker Magazine. What twaddle... a 'scientific' version of Mother Jones. If you deleted the anti-US propaganda and the stupid collages and the whitespace and the dinosaur stuff, there wouldn't be anything left but ads. It's rare to find an issue that doesn't mention George Bush half a dozen times.

When my renewal notice arrived, I wrote pretty much the above across it and sent it back. The damned thing just keeps coming!

John

"Said" by whom? I don't think there's any actual evidence that irradiation creates carcinogens. But there's lots of evidence that overcooking creates carcinogens in meat, and there are lots of places that won't sell you a rare steak or burger because of the possibility of bacterial poisoning. The tradeoff here is obvious.

Irradiating grains and especially peanuts, to kill carcinogenic molds, would prevent millions of liver cancers in developing countries.

Fortunately, the birth rate among loonie greenies is low.

John

I got the impression that the OP was looking for a beta source which would sterilize food, but be safe to handle in a household environment. I don't think there is any such thing. Maybe I misunderstood the OP's question. Or maybe I'm just plain wrong, although you didn't provide any evidence to that effect, as far as I can see.

Well, in poor areas, I think it is reasonable.

I believe it is irresponsible to exploit Earth's resources in a way which jeopardizes future generations of people. Maybe that makes me a loonie greenie. ;-)

Anyway, I was under the impression that the OP was talking about food-safety for very poor, rural areas. I still don't see irradiation as a solution to a food safety problem in an environment like that. Although maybe irradiating the drinking water would be effective.

In the US, food irradiation may make sense, I don't know. Personally, I would probably avoid irradiated food until it is clear that it is safe. I am well aware that irradiated food is not radioactive as a consequence of being irradiated. Any safety issues would be due to chemical changes in the food (ionizing radiation, you know...) or accidental contamination of food with the radioisotopes used as a radiation source.

My wife and I are expecting a child July 5th. Too late! ;-)

--Mac

Sounds like the AARP stuff. It just keeps coming and coming and coming. On the last batch that I sent back I said, "If it doesn't stop, I will file a USPS Form 1500 (unwanted sexually oriented advertising) against AARP".

And I will, too. That's how I permanently got off of Fingerhut's mailing list ;-)

...Jim Thompson

In case you haven't noticed, I'm in business, and I get a fair number of responses from the sig, and from people surfing into my website.

...Jim Thompson

Metaclue: you can do anything you want on usenet.

John

Very first Google hit...

John

Yep, Loonie greenies think sex causes cancer... good riddance ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Isn't it a felony to file a false report? To say nothing of the libel.

in

as

The food has not been modified much. The resident bacteria population, however, has been dealt a severe blow.

Sometimes. It depends on the gamma source.

I did not know that. Do you have a site to cite?