>I understand the biochemistry of irradiation and parasitism. Explain to
>me why you would want to eat viable E. coli or Salmonella rather than
>irradiated meat? Of course, YOU can go to an "organic" boutique and buy
>a free-range game hen. But most people in the world don't have that
>option.
>
>Please excuse my passion. I don't mean to insult you. I just can't
>figure out where you get ideas so disconnected from nature.
I think you are missing the point Dale. And IMHO you have arrived at an
incorrect conclusion. Let me explain.
Only in the over-industrialized parts of the world are people forced to
buy chickens (or other meats) that were produced under confinement
conditions and processed in massive, not so clean, processing plants, qwhere
the same wash water is used to "dip" literally hundreds of birds (in the
case of chickens) or cattle are slaughtered one afterthe other in an
assembly line like processing house where proper washdown between kills is
not accomplished and feces from one animal is allowed to be spread to the
meat from several.
In most of the world, free range, organically grown and processed animals
is the norm, not the exception. And the cost is not higher for that
quality. It is the only meat available. There is no assembly line
processed meat. Yes, in a few areas the conditions of poor sanitation and
infestations of various parasites you described do exist. But I don't think
it is nearly as wide spread as your message tends to indicate.
And if the existing organic standards are maintained, there will be little
need for irradiation. That is the point.
I am not totally against irradiation myself. It probably has its place.
One I can think of is the importation of fruits and vegetables from overseas
areas such as Hawaii. Cetain fruits from Hawaii are infested with insect
eggs and larvae. The only way to prevent the spread of those insects into
the mainland is through irradiation of the imported fruit. For those who
can't live without that fresh fruit from hawaii, irradiation is an answer.
I do not think it is an answer to solving the problems of salmonella and E
Coli in meat produced in the US. For that, go back to the producers and
force them to clean up their act. But you and the USDA have hard row to
hoe against the large corporate meat producers in the US such as Purdue
Chickens and Hormel Beef, to name two of many. They have their paid
lobbyists in Washington and, from what I hear, the revolving door at USDA is
no better than the one at FDA where employees of the industry to be
regulated alternate back and forth or through the controlling agency.
--Dan in Sunny Puerto Rico--
--dan.worley@icepr.com--
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