UTOPIA'S BLIGHT
 
When is 'safe' not safe?

   The F.D.A. has approved the irradiation of food using cobalt 60 and cesium

157 for everything from killing pathenogenic bacteria to preventing the

sprouting of onions, potatoes, carrots, ginger and garlic. The F.D.A. has even

approved the irradiation of eggs and tea!(18)


Recently the F.D.A. approved the irradiation of leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach.(Huffington Post, Aug 22, 2008 )


However, there will be more vegetables to follow. 

These will be chemically treated prior to irradiation so that they appear to be fresh

after irradiation.

One of the companies that is currently irradiating lefty greens is Dole.


 Because irradiation causes lefty greens to wilt, fresh leafy greens will be
 

chemically treated (with sulfites?) to keep them appearing green, fresh and crisp.

 
But don't be fooled by todays technology!

Research for this paper was done at the library of the University of
 
Medicine and Densitry of New Jersey, UMDNJ.Some references are given in this

paper but they are only a handful of the thousands you can find in your local

university or medical school library.

   Food is being radiated with ionizing radiation which is the equivalent of 

30,000,000 chest X-rays! Is this safe and is this necessary? The answer to

both questions is no!

   Laboratory studies have shown that irradiation of lipids in food causes the

formation of toxins such as peroxides, which are free radical formers,

formaldehyde, a carcinogen, and many unknown and uncharacterized radiolytic

compounds. These have been implicated in colorectal cancers.(2,14,15,13.3, 13.4,21)
 
  More importantly, it is well known that irradiated food exhibits

thermoluminescence, which means that irradiated food glows when you heat it!

Irradiated food is also ESR active which means that the irradiation of food

causes the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are known to be a health

hazard. They cause tissue damage and are the cause of cancer, autoimmune

diseases such as arthritis,and premature aging.

   In laboratory experiments human cell cultures grown in media containing 

irradiated sucrose showed significant chromosomal breakages.(3)

An important study conducted by Bhaskram and Sadasivan (4, 13), clearly showed

that when children were fed a diet of irradiated wheat they exhibited

polyploidy of the lymphocytes. Polyploidy occurs when a cell contains many

more copies of the chromosomes than normal. This is a condition which has

been related to malignancy. Other chromosomal aberrations were also observed

such as abnormally formed chromosomes and chromosomal breakage. The frequency

of abnormalities increased while the children were on this diet. The study was

only conducted for six weeks and a reversal of this condition was found when

the irradiated wheat was removed from the diet. However, abnormalities were

still observed in the children even 20 weeks after the irradiated wheat had

been removed from their diet.

   The laboratory of Vijayalaxmi (5-7,10), examined rats fed a diet of freshly

irradiated wheat. This group found a direct correlation between the

appearance of polyploid cells in the bone marrow of test animals on the diet

of irradiated wheat.  Although it is not undestood what causes polyploidy, it

is observed in the tumors of animals and humans including the case of acute

leukemia. (8,9). This group also found that rats fed irradiated wheat showed

other types of lethal chromosomal mutations and cell death.(7)

   A diet of irradiated wheat was also found to adversely effect the immune 

response of the rats. Rats given a diet of freshly irradiated wheat showed

significantly lower than mean antibody titres in four different antigens with

decreased numbers of antibody forming cells (10).  They were three times more

likely to develop pneumonia and the control group (11). A diet of irradiated

wheat was also found to adversely effect the reproductive function and

survival rate of young rats of the fifth generation when the dams were given

a diet of freshly irradiated flour, oats, potatoes and meat. The amount of

irradiation of the food was that recommended to the expert committee of the

joint FAO/IAEA/WHO (9). Not surprisingly, with studies on mice, there was an

increased incidence of intra-uterine deaths in normal female mice when mated

with males fed freshly irradiated wheat. (12,13).
 
   Proponents of food irradiation point out that it makes food safe. 'Safe' is

a relative term. They state that the level of toxins produced in irradiated

 food is 'comparable to that found in nature'. I do NOT buy this argument

 since nothing in nature glows when you heat it except a fire fly. If there

 were a brand of pet food on the market that was known to be irradiated we

 would go out of our way not to feed it to our pets, let alone feeding this to

 our growing children! They are hiding the term 'irradiation' behind the new

 term 'cold pasturization' so beware. Perhaps they feel they have something to

 hide.

There are safe alternatives to irradiation or cold pasturization, which can be

 used to preserve food such as canning, steam pasturization or drying or just

 cleaning up the food indusry.

 Many of the fruits, vegetables and spices imported into the United States

 from abroad have been irradiated, such as the garlic imported from China and

 the tropical fruit imported from Australia.22 

Many nations irradiate their food for export the the U.S. but do not sell the

 irradiated food within their own nation or to their own citizens. French Brie 

is one example.

   What can you do to fight back? My philosophy is simple - when you kick

 the 'beast', kick him in the wallet. You can grow your own fruits and

 vegetables. You can buy from reputable organic sources. You

 can 'pick your own' if you live near farms. You can shop at farmets markets

 for locally grown produce or begin a co-op in your area.
 
   If the government and the nuclear industry were truely interested in a

 safer food supply they would clean up the food industry and not irradiate the

 waste and tell us it was safe.
 
 Let's use our common sense and fight back!

REFERENCES:

Research done at UMDNJ

UTOPIAS BLIGHT

References:

1. Grower, J.D.;Willis,E.D.; The oxidation of benzo(a)pyrene mediated by lipid

peroxidation in irradiated synthetic diets. Int. J. Radiat. Biol. (1986),

49:471-484

2. Steward, F.C.; Holsten, R.D.; Sugii, M.; Direct and indirect effects of

 radiation: The radiolysis of sugar. Nature 1967;213:178.

3. Shaw,M.W.; Hayes, E.; Effects of irradiated sucrose on the chromosomes of

 human lymphocytes in vitro. Nature 211:1254 1966.

4. Bhaskram,C.;Sadasivan,G., Effects of feeding irradiated wheat to

 malnourished children., Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1975;28:130-135.

5.Vijayalaxmi,Sadasivan G., Chromosomal aberrations in rats fed irradiated

 wheat. Int. J. Rad. Biol & Related Stud. in Physics, Chem. & Medicine. 27

(2):135-42 1975 Feb.

6. Vijayalaxmi, Cytogenic studies in rats fed irradiated wheat. Int. J. Rad.

 Biol. & Related Stud. in Physics, Chem. & Medicine. 27(3): 283-5, 1975 Mar.

7.Vijayalaxmi, Visweswara Rao K., Dominant lethal mutations in rats fed on

 irradiated wheat. Int. J. Rad. Biol. & Related Stud. in Physics, Che. &

 Medicine. 29(1): 93-8, 1976 Jan.

8. Endoreduplication polyploidy and leukemia. Lancett, 2:511-512 1964.

9. Endoreduplication in untreated early leukemia., Houston, E.W. Lancet 
   2:496-7 5Sep1964

10. Vijayalaxmi, Immune response in rats given irradiated wheat. British

 Journal of Nutrition 40(3) 535-41 1978 Nov.


11.Shillinger, Food Irradiation Inf. (5)52 1975.

12. Vijayalaxmi, Genetic effects of feeding irradiated wheat to mice. Canadian

 J. Genet. Cytol. 18: 231-238, 1976

13. Expert Testimony
U.S. CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS 
INTO FOOD IRRADIATION

14.  Nutrition & Cancer Food-Borne Radiolytic
 Compounds (2-Alkylcyclobutanones)May Promote Experimental Colon 
Carcinogenesis  2002, Vol. 44, No. 2, Pages 189-191 

15. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 
Genotoxic properties of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone, a compound formed on irradiation of food containing fat

16.Food Irradiation, A Gross Failure 

17.Bad Taste

18.The Irradiation of Eggs, Public Citizen 

19.The Truth About Irradiated Meat, Consumer Reports

20. Sustainable Table, General Information about food irradiation

21.Public Citizen, Food Irradiation pdf

22.World Irradiation Report: Food & Water Watch

23.Irradiation & Vegetables Don't mix


24.Food Irradiation - "Protecting" Us? Citizens for Health Jan 2008

25.FDA Approves Zapping Greens With Radiation For Food Safety,

Huffington Post, LAURAN NEERGAARD | August 21, 2008 

26.The Food That Would Last Forever

Gary Gibbs, Avery 1993

Thank you George L. Tritsch

This site was last updated 21Sep2008