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. Then, when people eat it, their bodies will be exposed to radiation. One of the oldest forms of food preservation is sun drying. The gamma ray range happens to be the same range as the rays used to irradiate food. Only very low doses of gamma rays are required for irradiating foods, not nearly enough to make food radioactive.