Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!hpda!fortune!dsd!symplex!pat From: pat@symplex.UUCP Newsgroups: net.cooks,net.veg,net.med Subject: Re: irradiated food Message-ID: <128@symplex.UUCP> Date: Wed, 7-Mar-84 21:07:40 EST Article-I.D.: symplex.128 Posted: Wed Mar 7 21:07:40 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Mar-84 10:17:19 EST References: <199@menlo70.UUCP> Lines: 25 I haven't been following the net very long ( we just recently got uucp up & running), but the articles on irradiating food caught my eye & I have a miniscule addition to make. While working for Varian a few years ago, one of the tertiary projects going on was the development of a linear accelerator for the purpose of producing sterilizing radiation in the form of x-rays in the 10 to 20 Mv range (Megavolt). This was an offshoot of the medical (cancer treatment) devices being mass-produced. Medical linear accelerators have been in use for about two decades now, and the use & affects thereof are pretty well documented. This type of radiation device has by now just about completely replaced Cobalt-60 systems due to much greater dosage rates & lower safety- related risks. I would expect to see linacs replace C-60 in food sterilization in the near future, if in fact it is not already occuring. While the concerns over toxic byproducts from energetic chemical reations would remain, the issues of short-half-life radioactive by- products, control over dosage, & contamination of foodstuffs by C-60 should, I think, be resolved by using linacs. Richard Patrick ..!dsd!symplex!pat Symplex Communications Belmont, Ca. 94002