Re: Food irradiation

[StevenFrey@aol.com]

Dr. Milligan- 

You are right and I am wrong. Your snippet posting proves that nitrates, as 
well as nitrites, are used as food preservatives.

A part of that snippet is an eyecatcher:

"Adding nitrite to food can lead to the formation of small amounts of potent 
cancer-causing chemicals (nitrosamines), particularly in fried bacon."

This same claim has been made about hot dogs and baloney, which too are 
preserved with nitrites. The production of nitrosamines occurs when heat is 
applied to cook the meat.

I question strongly, however, the basis by which the implication is made that 
cancer risk in humans is increased from consumption of 
nitrate/nitrite/nitrosamine foods. In the 1970s a major study was launched 
when screaming headlines that "Hot dogs cause cancer!!!" appeared in 
newspapers across the country. The announcement was based on a study that 
appeared to reveal a qualitative increase in cancer risk from normal 
consumption levels of hot dogs by the public. However, subsequent studies to 
quantitate the risk failed to find any increased risk to the public. Perhaps 
this finding is why food processors feel confident that their judicious use 
of nitrites as preservatives in food is a safe and sound practice.

And I question the value of the snippet, anyway. Its source, a ' food 
additive website' as you benignly put it, is none other than the Center for 
Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). CSPI is a grass-roots political 
organization well known for trying to scare the hell out of the public over 
food so as to promote its own paid-subscription nutrition newsletter. The 
recent infamous claims that "Mexican food is dangerous to your health" and 
"Mcdonald's Big Macs are loaded with fat" were created and pushed by CSPI. 
Examination of its website finds extensive embedding of sociological ideology 
in its food additive reviews. CSPI hardly is a source of objective 
information.

Steve Frey 

In a message dated 4/2/00 9:17:19 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
keith.millington@tft.csiro.au writes:

<< Not true Steve. Both sodium nitrite and nitrate appear to be used as
 preservatives for dried meats. according to the following snippet freely
 obtained from a food additive website.>>
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