Re: irradiated food

["Michael C. Baker" <mcbaker@lanl.gov>]

I both agree and disagree with your assessment of the USA Weekend
article.  3/4 's of the article was well done giving opinions from 
both sides and throwing out a few facts, but two things really 
bothered me.

First was that cow on the cover with half of its head painted pink.
My wife, who is not a scientist or engineer, did not read the article
but did catch the picture and the misleading title on the front cover
questioning the safety of food irradiation.  I am afraid this is what
many will do and they are left with a strong image that there is 
something wrong with food irradiation.  (My wife and I discussed the 
article later.)

Second,  I did like the way a study from New Jersey was thrown out 
implying food irradiation causes miscarriages among a few other items
listed. (Sorry, I left the article at home and cannot remember the 
others.)  This was the only specific study mentioned in the article 
and it was thrown out with only very weak rebuttal from any supporting
view.

Michael Baker ...  mcbaker@lanl.gov


>It seems that someone's information and/or press releases did some good.  If
>you can get past the pink steer on the cover, read Dennis McCafferty's
article
>in the January 25, 1998 edition of Gannett's USA Weekend.