Some people become so sick from eating contaminated food that they die. The E.coli bacteria continued growing in the undercooked hamburgers. People who ate the hamburgers became very sick and several died as a result. If the ground meat had been irradiated before leaving the meat packing plant, the E. coli bacteria would have been killed. Irradiation would also help us make other meats safer.
Bacteria called salmonella are one of the most common causes of foodborne illness.
Salmonella is found on all types of raw meat and poultry. These are foods that must be kept refrigerated, correctly handled, and thoroughly cooked so we will not get sick when we eat them. Irradiation of the raw meat and poultry products would help make sure that the raw meats we buy are safe when we leave the grocery store. Some people worry about the safety of food irradiation itself. Some people think that when food is irradiated, it will become radioactive.