Re: FDA likely to approve meat irradiation-Spokesman

["J. Andrew Tompkins" <JATALBQ@ix.netcom.com>]

> 
> Note that facilities and isotopes to irradiate 13 Billion pounds per year of
> hamburger alone, plus the chicken that should be being irradiated under
> current FDA approval, and much more under new rules for other forms in
> progress, and for many other foodstuffs, will need HPs and nukes, with a
> chance to do something more useful than chase a speck of Pu in an ocean of U
> and Th decay chain radioactivity, and produce mountains of paper for a
> molehill of analysis, for a change.  Of course, we can also succeed in making
> the use of radioistopes in this endeavor as uneconomic as we've made nuclear
> power! Electron beams may win on the basis of continuing radio-phobia by HPs
> and nukes.
> 
> Regards, Jim
> 
> > ------------------
> > Sandy Perle
> > Technical Director
> > ICN Dosimetry Division
> > Costa Mesa, CA 92626
> > Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306
> > Fax:    (714) 668-3149
> >
> > sandyfl@ix.netcom.com
> > sperle@icnpharm.com
> >
> > Personal Homepage:
> > http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1205
> >
> > ICN Dosimetry Website:
> > http://www.dosimetry.com
> >
> > "The object of opening the mind, as of opening
> > the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
> >               - G. K. Chesterton -

The best choice of radioisotopes for food irradiation is Cs-137.  An
obvious source of this material is the DOE WESF Facility in Richland,
WA.  Commercial enterprises have already expressed an interest in
privatizing the facility.  

However, because of past problems with using WESF capsules in irradiator
facilies there is a real reluctence for the government to get off the
dime on this issue.  The facility would have to be operated under NRC
licensing. I believe it is still the best use of the isotope and the
facility since the project impacts public health/ confidence in the food
supply. It is really going to take an effort by some group to get that
project moving.


Andrew Tompkins
ATL International, Inc.
Atlanta, GA

tel: 770-517-4320
e-mail: jatalbq@ix.netcom.com