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From: edhall@randvax.ARPA (Ed Hall)
Newsgroups: net.cooks,net.veg,net.med
Subject: Re: irradiated food
Message-ID: <1725@randvax.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 28-Feb-84 03:37:25 EST
Article-I.D.: randvax.1725
Posted: Tue Feb 28 03:37:25 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Mar-84 16:08:00 EST
References: <1550@tekig1.UUCP>, <588@pyuxqq.UUCP>, <544@shark.UUCP>
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica
Lines: 19

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I've a question about this which I hope someone out there can provide
a (referenced) answer to: what *chemical* effects are there produced
in food by radiation?  I realize that gamma radiation is not about
to cause the elements in the food to transmute, but 1 Mev is more
than enough energy to make or break a chemical bond.  Are we sure
that the results of these reactions (which I would expect to have
a good chance of being biologically active) are harmless?  I would
think that the sterilizing effect of the radiation is based on this
ability to break chemical bonds in, say, proteins and DNA.  Are we
sure that the radiation-induced chemical reactions which kill the
microorganisms don't yield components which are toxic to life
ingesting them?  Remember, fruits, vegetables, grains, and even
part of milk is composed of biological cells which are also being
irradiated.

		-Ed Hall
		decvax!randvax!edhall   (UUCP)
		edhall@rand-unix        (ARPA)