It also sterilizes more than half of all medical disposable materials, such as sutures, bandages and surgical drapes. Additional consumer products sterilized with irradiation include baby bottle nipples, teething rings and cosmetics. In 1994, Isomedix, Inc., a New Jersey medical sterilization company, submitted a petition asking that the government approve irradiation for beef. The company hopes to offer irradiation to meat processors once USDA gives final approval. Consumers believe that if they walk into a retail store or a restaurant and purchase a food product, that product should be free of harmful bacteria.
Irradiation is really just one piece of the puzzle.
But it's an important one. We're looking at a whole series of technologies that are designed to make food safer for consumers. Food irradiation currently is endorsed by the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the American Medical Association, the American Dietetic Association and others. FDA has evaluated irradiation safety for 40 years and concludes that it is safe and effective for many foods. Kropf said K-State is expected to recommend a minimum treatment of 1.5 to 2 KGy for raw beef.