"People are just beginning to understand the seriousness of food-borne illness, caused by bacteria and bacterial by-products, which has recently renewed the interest in irradiating foods," asserted George Pauli, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Product Policy, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that every year in the US 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 Americans die because of foodborne illness. Ultimately, the expense for this preventable disease becomes the taxpayer's burden.

"Moreover, there is additional pressure from the meat and poultry industry to promote irradiation, as recalls due to bacterial contamination are becoming very expensive," states Dan Henroid. The meat industry has had to convince the public that it is providing a microbial safe food product, particularly after the recent high-profile outbreaks of Escherichia coli and Listeria..."