WG: [ RadSafe ] Re: ABC (aus) 7;30 Report

[Franz Schönhofer]

RADSAFErs, I forward a comment to you, which was not forwarded due to heavy
problems with my provider. 

 

I would appreciate if this could  be considered in the partially completely
unfounded discussion about “food irradiation”.

 

Best regards,

 

Franz

 

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD

MinRat i.R.

Habicherg. 31/7

A-1160 Wien/Vienna

AUSTRIA

 

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Franz Schönhofer [mailto:franz.schoenhofer at gmail.com] 
Gesendet: Sonntag, 25. Jänner 2009 19:04
An: Franz Schönhofer
Betreff: Fwd: [ RadSafe ] Re: ABC (aus) 7;30 Report

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Franz Schönhofer <franz.schoenhofer at gmail.com>
Date: 2009/1/23
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Re: ABC (aus) 7;30 Report
To: neildm at id.doe.gov



Dave and RADSAFErs,

 

A very quick search on Google for Melamin (the first hit gave the desired
result!) gave the following information (Wikipedia):

 

Melamin had already been added to pet food raw material exported from China
to the USA previously in order to simulate a high nitrogen content of the
material, determined by the totally unspecific Kjeldahl method, which is
routineously interpreted as being related to protein concentration. This had
negative and even lethal effects on cats and pets. Since Wikipedia mentions
research on it this should have been known to the company producing the pet
food. The same happened when Melamin was added in a Chinese factory to baby
milk, intended to pretend a high protein concentration - with the horrible
consequences we hear of via massmedia. 

 

Though I am a chemist I am not a specialist on plastics, but from all I
know, melamine resins are sure not used in the coating of the inside of
tins. Also from my limited experience I dare say, that the Wikipedia
information is very reasonable. Maybe journalists should ask experts in the
respective field before starting with hearsay and speculations - also valid
for other people!

 

Believe it or not, but there is a very direct connection to radioactivity
matters. I mentioned that the addition of melamin was done in order to
pretend a high protein content on the grounds of a high nitrogen content.
The Kjeldahl analysis gives only a "total nitrogen concentration", whatever
the compounds may be. And how about our profession? There are still those
totally unspecific "gross alpha", "gross beta", "gross alpha+beta", even
"gross gamma" and gross radium measurements around. I have advocated since
decades to switch to nuclide specific measurements because of all those
uncertainties and traps. Gross-beta - tritium, gross alpha - uranium or
Ra-226,228 or Pu, gross beta - Ra-228 or tritium or C-14. This is another
thread wich I would like to open for discussion.

 

Best regards

 

Franz 

2009/1/22 <neildm at id.doe.gov> 

 

An interesting thought - melamine is used in some plastics, and if the
irradiation could cause depolymerization ...

Just a WAG; there are a lot of what-ifs implied in that.

Dave Neil

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of Kai Kaletsch
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 11:15 AM
To: Ivor Surveyor; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Re: ABC (aus) 7;30 Report

What about the possibility of radiation causing chemicals in the
packaging
being released into the food? Radiation certainly changes plastic and
some
food cans seem to have a plastic lining. I can't think of anything that
would have a higher packaging to food ratio than gourmet cat food.

Regards,
Kai

 

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