Schools might have the option to serve meat that has been treated with radiation to students, as part of a policy change that was already being considered before a listeria outbreak occurred in school cafeterias last month. The federal law that supports American farmers, which was approved in May, had already paved the way for irradiated foods to be included in the federal school lunch program. However, the focus on irradiation has increased since it was discovered that 1.8 million pounds of turkey supplied to schools was contaminated with potentially harmful listeria bacteria. Despite a recall of the tainted meat, some of it still ended up on school lunch tables, although no illnesses have been reported.
The Department of Agriculture is expected to make an announcement regarding irradiation and ground beef supplied to schools through the lunch program before the end of the year. Jerry R. Redding, a spokesperson for the USDA, stated that school districts will only receive irradiated meat if they specifically request it. The Food and Nutrition Service surveys the school districts and if they express a desire for irradiated meat, it will be purchased. A clause in the farm bill lifted the prohibition on using irradiated meat in the school lunch program. The safety of irradiated food has been endorsed by the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, irradiation uses ionizing radiation to kill bacteria and does not affect the nutritional value or safety of the food.
However, there are still concerns among certain groups. Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization based in Washington, opposes the use of irradiated foods, especially in schools. Monique M. Mikhail, an organizer for Public Citizen’s food-irradiation policy team, stated that her group believes more long-term studies need to be conducted. She also mentioned that irradiation leaves "radiolytic products" in the food and some recent studies have shown that eating irradiated foods can promote cancer growth in rats. Ms. Mikhail questioned the safety of serving irradiated food to children and suggested that cafeterias should be required to label it, allowing parents to make informed decisions about their children’s meals.
Instead of focusing on irradiation, Ms. Mikhail believes the government should concentrate on improving the meat industry. She referred to the recent listeria outbreak at a Wampler Foods plant in Pennsylvania, which led to the recall of 27.4 million pounds of cooked turkey and chicken products, the largest recall of its kind in USDA history. The Department of Agriculture had purchased approximately 1.8 million pounds of the recalled turkey for the school lunch program. Listeria can cause severe illness and even death in some cases. Some individuals, including lawmakers and school officials, expressed concerns that it took too long to initiate the recall. Nancy J. Donley, the president of Safe Tables Our Priority, based in Vermont, stated that federal officials should have alerted schools earlier to prevent students from consuming the contaminated meat.
However, Steven Cohen, a spokesperson for the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, defended the actions taken and stated that schools were informed promptly, with only a minor delay due to a holiday. He believes that the system worked as intended. It remains to be seen whether students and parents will accept the use of irradiated meats in school cafeterias. Information campaigns could play a role in shaping opinions. In New York state, a group called Rochestarians Against the Misuse of Pesticides is urging school districts to pass resolutions against serving irradiated foods. So far, no districts have done so. However, in Minnesota, where the benefits of irradiation have been publicly promoted and irradiated meat is available in grocery stores and some restaurants, parents and students may be more accepting of its use.
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