Re: Food irradiation---do seeds sprout? Did that denature

["Bjorn Cedervall" <bcradsafers@hotmail.com>]

>speculative data as to its "harmful" effects).  As for spices, those >that 
>are not irradiated, are treated with chemicals, typically a gas >to kill 
>all of the bugs and other good things that would come along >with your 
>allspice and other exotic spices.  (I'm sure that most >people prefer not 
>to see their spices crawl off the table.)  This gas can leave a residue on 
>the spices.

If the gas is ethylene oxide, EO, chlorinated two-carbon compounds are 
formed which are carcinogenic/mutagenic. (I am - in collaboration with a few 
other scientists - studying the DNA damaging capacity of some of these small 
organic chemicals BTW (EO, propylene oxide and epichlorohydrine) - the 
bottom line for me is - "no ethylene oxide treatment of my foods").

My personal thoughts only,

Bjorn Cedervall  bcradsafers@hotmail.com

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