irradiated milk

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

The benefit of "cold pasturization" in the public's mind may not be that
it doesn't look like the milk is irradiated (which we know it is), but
that the process doesn't use a radioactive source.  When a source is
involved there are the  possibilities of worker (and public?) exposure,
contamination of the milk, environmental contamination, disposal of the
source when the company is no longer in business (or no longer needs the
source for whatever reason) and the ultimate need for
decontamination/decommisioning of the potentially contaminated
facility.  These are a few reasons, perhaps not entirely realistic, as
to why the electron beam technology may be more acceptable to a segment
of the public.
-- 
==================================================
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc.
136 S Illinois Ave, Ste 208, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Please note new area code:
Phone (865) 483-1333; Fax (865) 482-6572; E-mail loc@icx.net
OCTOBER INSIGHTS CAN BE FOUND AT: http://www.local-oversight.org
==================================================
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html