How to Protect Yourself From Salmonella Poisoning
After the widespread salmonella poisoning this year, the Food and Drug Administration is saying that it has a way to stop this kind of problem from ever happening again. But there’s a problem. The government’s solution will only create more problems. Instead, we need a solution that really works and doesn’t cause any harm.
Last year, the government, to allegedly protect you from dangerous bacteria like salmonella, approved widespread food irradiation. The goal, of course, was to expose some of your favorite veggies, such as lettuce and spinach, to irradiation to make sure they aren’t contaminated with deadly bacteria. And the government insists that there is no serious damage to irradiated foods.
Whoa, wait a minute. Isn’t this the same corrupt agency that told us that Bisphenol-A is safe? Recently we learned that this common chemical in plastics leaches out and is carcinogenic. And isn’t this the agency that told us other drugs were safe?
So is irradiation safe? It’s true that radiation will kill potentially toxic microorganisms on food. However, consider the process. It kills these microorganisms by destroying biochemical molecules in them.
Here’s the problem: The living cells of the vegetables and other produce have biochemical molecules that irradiation will destroy and alter as well. Do you want to be eating broken molecules that have been created in a nuclear facility?
I just don’t get the thinking behind those in charge of the government. They say it’s fine to expose the entire population to molecules that we’ve never seen before. And it’s supposed to be safe?
What’s worse, the irradiation may not protect you from the real problem bugs. The Centers for Science in the Public Interest conducted an analysis on salad-related illness outbreaks. Their research found that these illnesses are often caused by viruses. Viruses are not affected by the doses of radiation approved by the government.
So what do we do about the problem of contaminated food? The government would rather take the easy route to nuke your food than encourage sanitary practices.
Radiation will make a modest problem worse. It will make it easier for growers who would like to skimp on sanitary practices to do so in the interest of profit. The government's decision will hide unsanitary practices.
Fortunately, there’s an outstanding alternative. It’s our old friend oxidation ozone, to be more specific.
Ozone is the earth’s most powerful naturally occurring oxidant. You can smell its sweetness after a cleansing thunderstorm. It is an incredible purifier. Not only does it kill bacteria in seconds, but it’s also lethal to viruses. It leaves no toxic residue. Not only does it kill microorganisms, it oxidizes and breaks down toxic chemicals. It reacts only with the outermost surface of the exposed object.
By comparison, radiation penetrates through the entire food and affects every molecule in its path. This is overkill, as it’s only the surface that’s contaminated. When there’s a perfect remedy that purifies only that surface, with no toxic residue, and no alteration of the cells, why taint the whole product?
Why doesn’t the government consider ozone purification? (And why is the government so ruthless in its persecution of ozone as a medical therapy?) Ozone is dirt cheap and it’s extremely easy to install and use. I invite you to connect the dots. As I’ve said repeatedly, follow the money trail!
It’s time to take action against the government. Contact your elected officials. Tell them that you are horrified that the government plans to allow nuking your food without your knowledge. Encourage them to push for treating food with non-toxic ozone rather than radiation.
In the meantime, if you are concerned about your risk of microbe food contamination, there’s something simple you can do at home. Decontaminate your food at home with oxidation! At home, you can add one teaspoon of Clorox Bleach (no other brand) to two gallons of water.
Soak your produce for 15 minutes, drain and rinse. The bleach will kill any surface contaminants, and it will wash away with tap water. As an alternative, use one-quarter cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide for a sink full of water instead of the Clorox.
No matter what the government tells you, we just don’t know if there’s any safe level of radiation. And I don’t want to wait 20 years for the government to belatedly come clean on this issue, as it has on so many other issues. I don’t think that your immune system and body organs want that either.
Ref: New York Times, August 22, 2008.