Have you ever heard of "food irradiation"? Odds are you have not. Food irradiation is the equivalent of a massive x-ray. In fact, the amount of radiation being applied to food during irradiation is 10 million to 100 million times the dose of the average chest x-ray! Don't be alarmed. The radiation causes no harm. It turns out that food irradiation serves a general purpose, one brought on by Big Ag we might add. It is impossible to ensure the purity of produce on a large scale simply because of the breadth of material being scrutinized. Pathogens, such as E. Coli or salmonella, creep into the food chain via shotty fertilizing practice and exposure to environments suitable to these disease-causing microbes. Irradiation kills these pathogens, but it has other undesirable effects.

Irradiation destroys much of the produces beneficial bonds- vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.- the very reasons you are eating the produce for in the first place. According to California Day-Fresh Foods, irradiating orange juice strips away 48% beta-carotene, 13% vitamin C, and 10% of its vitamin A (Nutrition Week, 2001p. 7). Everybody knows someone who eats supplements. You think it has anything to do with food not being as nutritious as it has historically been?

The fact that our food supply is less nutritious than it has been historically is probably a direct result of food irradiation, amongst other things like selective breeding for shelf life. It turns out that another side effect of food irradiation is delayed ripening. This is certainly a benefit to food producers looking to help their bottom line, but not to the customer looking for the most nutritious food. In the end, food irradiation is a boon to food producers, but a detriment to the overall goal of food production- our health. However, it is necessary under current worldly food production mechanisms.