An estimated 76 million cases of foodborne illnesses are recorded each year, resulting in more than 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. Approximately 73,000 people, many of them children, get E. coli infection every year and 61 die from it. About 5 to 10 percent of school-age children infected with E. coli develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the principal cause of kidney failure in children. E. coli infection is often linked to undercooked ground beef. When ground beef is irradiated, at least 99.99 percent of E. coli and other harmful foodborne bacteria are killed. Yet a recent survey of Minnesotans showed that while many people have heard of food irradiation, few people purchase or eat irradiated foods. Currently in the United States, 10 percent of herbs and spices, but less than 0.002 percent of fruits, vegetables, meats and poultry, are irradiated. Nearly every major science and health agency supports the consumption of irradiated food. These include the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the American Dietetic Association (ADA). More than 40 years of research on food irradiation has repeatedly shown it to be safe. The CDC estimates that if just 50 percent of the meat and poultry consumed in the United States were irradiated, the number of foodborne illnesses would be reduced annually by 900,000 and deaths by 352. Given the likelihood that many foodborne illnesses go undetected and unreported – including illnesses attributable to cross-contamination by meat and poultry drippings – the reduction would likely be even greater. The arguments against irradiation today are similar to those used decades ago against milk pasteurization. Pasteurization opponents said it would not prevent disease, the taste would be unpalatable, and it would be an excuse for farmers to run a dirty operation. Those claims turned out to be untrue, and pasteurized milk has greatly contributed to our health for more than 50 years. Similar benefits could be realized with widespread use of irradiated food. Irradiation allows us to decrease foodborne illness in schools, hospitals, restaurants and at home. It is not a substitute for sanitary food processing, nor is it a substitute for good personal or kitchen hygiene. Critics say that irradiation is unnecessary because ground beef is safe when cooked properly. However, many people do not cook ground beef to the recommended 160 degrees F, nor do they ensure that raw ground beef does not cross-contaminate other items in a kitchen. Food irradiation can save lives, but only through widespread use. Parents should encourage schools to serve irradiated ground beef in the cafeteria, and we can urge our grocers to stock irradiated foods. Consumer acceptance is crucial to the long-term availability of irradiated foods. A colleague and I have just written an in-depth review of food irradiation that appears in the April 29, 2004, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, and more information can be accessed in the irradiation section of our Web site at
