Wouldn't it be so much simpler to put the food in air-tight bags, then micro-wave them? Micro-waves will heat the food to the point of killing the germans (sorry, germs), then the air-tight bag will stop anything else getting in to the food. Sterile enough or what?
Suppose I want a fresh, uncooked, tomato?
...Jim Thompson
Then don't micro-wave it for so long. Most people here are talking about "irradiating" the food, when all this really means, in the real world anyway, is running it through a micro-wave oven for a minute or two. The only thing that really gets "irradiated" to sterilise it, is fruit fly larvae. But that a different type of sterilisation all together. :-)
The claim that irradiation doesn't change the taste of the food may be a bit optimistic.
IIRR enough irradiation to kill all the bugs was enough to give a detectable change in flavour, but I can't remember where I saw that particular claim.
----------- Bill Sloman, Nijmegen
"New Scientist" is a British based popular science weekly. They do get the science right, but insist of presenting it in an "entertaining" way.
Their politics isn't right wing enough for the likes of John Larkin and Jim Thompson, but the "New Scientist" is a British (and Australian) based weekly - moving far enough to the right to pick up the right-wing American market would alienate most of their domestic buyers (like me).
For pro-Dubbya propagada you want something title "Old Fundamentalist".
--------- Bill Sloman, Nijmegen
The Soviets had a grain steriliser which (as I recall) fitted on the back of a lorry. A pretty large gamma source, presumably Cs 137 or Co 60. I guess it was used to kill moulds, which are pretty hard to kill, but also pretty unpleasant. The sort of source, though, that should be kept under pretty close control (certainly not in everyone's kitchen) given the experience in Brazil, Mexico, where hospital cancer treatment sources ended up being broken up in scrapyards (to the detriment of people exposed to the bits).
No comment on the "loony greenie" view on irradiation of foods, but if they ever have an injection or other invasive procedure from their GP or in hospital the needle, catheter, or whatever will almost certainly have been sterilised by gamma.
AIUI, microwaves don't kill small organisms directly. If you want to sterilize something in a microwave oven, I think you will have to do it by heating it to the boiling point.
When people talk about irradiating food, I believe they are talking about high-energy gamma radiation, not microwaves.
--Mac
I am not a lawyer, but doesn't a false allegation have to be published to be considered libel?
--Mac
Skip the nuclear part and just get a big electron gun. That's what they're using for things like mangos and papayas in Hawaii. And the neighbors are a lot happier to not have a big lump of radio-cobalt sitting in a pit down the road. They use them on the US Mail in the Washington, DC area, too.
Mark Zenier snipped-for-privacy@eskimo.com Washington State resident
Wasn't this found to be detrimental to humans many years ago? Quite how it would affect us second hand, I have no idea.
A good idea.
Typical! Would you stand for local nuclear radiation? It might be used to stop men from fathering any new children.
Try buying fresh, local organic foods (if they exist there) and you will change your mind.
Not as dangerous as the loonies that accept change that the chem-co's want to impose on our foods. GM crops are not natural and the US will never change the UK mind.
Dave
You are probably correct.
But from the Postal point-of-view, filing a Form 1500 is strictly an expression that you don't want to receive these materials that you PERSONALLY find as "sexually oriented advertising".
Like I said, I did this with Fingerhut, who seem to put you on their list anytime you buy a car. That's been several cars ago, and I've not received diddley from them since the filing.
...Jim Thompson
On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 22:33:27 +0000 (UTC),it is alleged that Dave spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:
The CDC site on the subject is very clear on the fact that no neutron exposure is involved, thus the food itself cannot become radioactive.
If the source is contained such that no contamination can occur, it in theory can't. [and in practise it has been proved thus] It has been found that some vitamins are affected, but not significantly.
Hard gamma, I believe, there is some experimentation with x-rays and electron beams
I believe that would actually require the men to go through the irradiation chamber. A process they're likely to notice and thus resist:-)
Me, I like organic, but if it were proven to be bacteria laden,(as has not happened) I'd change that opinion :-)
Hmm, "UK mind"... we're not the borg:-) (despite Tony's best efforts)
I believe from reading other posts in this thread that irradiation is probably unnecessary in the UK, but the public reaction is the typical
"ooh it had that [radiation|genetic] word in it, so it must be bad, pass me some more government control"
Rejecting irradiation and GM crops for scientific reasons of 'being unnecessary' is fine with me, but "I don't like the concept" strikes me as being rather short sighted.
*Note: The opinions contained are merely my own and do NOT purport to reflect truth, enlightenment, the way forward, the BBC's schedule, or an endorsement of any product or service, nor are they hostile :-)
Irradiation IS NOT the same as genetically modified. How many times do I have to say that?
Irradiation at low levels simply kills bacteria inside a sealed package.
...Jim Thompson
On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 00:32:18 +0100,it is alleged that Mike Dodd spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:
I find most do, if not all. For the onse that dont, I've always had a result if the forms are filled in, but not quite finished. Then someone goes thru them entering data, only to find theyre being jerked about. They do get peed off enough to do something about it.
NT
gassing them at packing time will extend their life a fair bit.
NT
Thanks you for everyones input, most informative. It looks like its a no-goer, as I expected. Guess I'll have to stick to threading the noodles thru the smoke alarm chamber one at a time :/
NT
Are you reading something "published" now?
With Sulfur Dioxide, forming Sodium Bisulfite, of which I am very allergic... ba-a-a-ad headaches. Asthmatics can die from exposure to Sodium Bisulfite, that's why it is prohibited from salad bars in the US.
Wines have some naturally, but I only seem to react to the additive variety.
...Jim Thompson
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