New Arsenal Coming To Keep Food Safe

Posting Date: 04/26/2000

There?s an upcoming conference that is looking at technologies to make the fruits, vegetables, grains and meat that goes to supermarkets safer than ever. I?ve noted how irradiation has proven to be safe and effective in killing germs that spoil food and there are other methods being looked at.

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It?s clear to me that we can keep a lot of people from getting sick by effectively zapping bacteria in the processing plants, but the problem is getting consumers to accept the new processes without freaking out.

Visit the Food Safety Center

There are a number of future food safety weapons being looked at that may someday show up in processing plants. These include pulsed electric fields, pulsed light, x-rays, oscillating magnetic fields, microwaves, ohmic and inductive heating, high pressure, and ultrasound.

One specific conference panel deals with ozone technology -- experts will discuss the microbiological and chemical aspects of ozone processing and how it can be applied to red meat, poultry and seafood.

A significant effort is being made to find processing methods that will keep us supplied with high quality foods while ensuring a strong defense against dangerous microbes. This is a field that I?ll be watching closely as new technologies come forward.