Imported pet foods irradiated

I just very recently posted this same information a few thread topics down; a few people believe the problem was Orijen themselves, although the testing and results have proven the Australian government is the one causing the issue.

Spoke to my Mom about all this...she said few people are aware of it, but it happens in the USA too. Stores like Albertson's are doing this in their big warehouses on human fruits/vegetables, etc that come in from other countries around us too.

Pretty scary. I'm very surprized Australia hasn't produced it's own good quality food by now, honestly.

stanton

I just very recently posted this same information a few thread topics down; ; a few people believe the problem was Orijen themselves, although the testing and results have proven the Australian government is the one causing the issue.

  stanton,  you should find this interesting;

http://www.petforums.co.uk/pet-news/21757-irradiated-pet-food-cause-cat-deaths-australia.html;

However Rosalie Bertell, Ph.D. in a paper written for the International Institute of Concern for Public Health, has very opposing views on irradiation than the FDA. Food Irradiation Dr. Bertell explains that irradiation is a method used to slow the death or decay process once a fruit is picked or meat producing animal is killed. Although the FDA, USDA, and EPA all claim that irradiation of food prevents bacteria growth, Dr. Bertell states that irradiation does not have the "ability to differentiate between desirable and undesirable bacteria."

Most governments that approve the irradiation of food, do so with the belief that irradiation kills dangerous bacteria, the prevention of spreading salmonella and botulism are frequently noted. Dr. Bertell states "Clostridium Botulinum resists irradiation below the 10-kilogray upper-limit for food processing. The toxin produced by Clostridium Botulinum can cause botulism. It flourishes in anaerobic (oxygen free) conditions. This deadly pathogen would not be destroyed by irradiation and in fact could even thrive."

Dr. Bertell also makes some startling claims that reinforce the suspicion that the Australian Orijen Cat Food was damaged by irradiation. "Both the U.S. FDA. and the Science Council of Canada attempt to minimize the effects of food irradiation by quoting a report from Ames, Iowa, July 1986, (Report No. 9, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology) saying that each kilogray of ionizing radiation breaks only 6 chemical bonds out of 10 million in food. This makes the magnitude, the nature and the biological impact of the breaks seem small. However, in 100 millilitres (or 0.1 litre) of water there are 5-gram moles, that is 1025 molecules. At the low-dose of one kilogray, 6 times 1018 chemical bonds are broken creating the hydroxyl radical, one of the most reactive entities known in biochemistry. Water makes up some 80% of most foods."

Now, Imagine a pet food, with 80 to 100 different ingredients, millions of different chemical bonds involved, all being slightly altered through irradiation; the possibilities of problems are overwhelming. 

  I thought irradiation was safe and expressed doubts about it affecting Origen, but after seeing this I'm not so sure.