Hamburgers and Food Irradiation

[Andy Hull <hull@mail.sep.bnl.gov>]

Although I hesitate to keep this issue on the front burner, I don't think
that flip responses are appropriate.  For most, if not all processes that
may produce potentially hazardous  agents (or let them through), the nearer
the source the control, the less costly and time consuming. Thus, the strong
argument for 100% irradiation to control E coli contamination as near to the
head end of the process as practicable,  rather than to depend on cooking by
multiple chefs with mostly imperfect training and skills.