[Thoramir]

I worked a temp job in a research facility at Texas A&M that did this kind of irradiation on frozen hamburger patties (good idea if you like your burgers rare). The kind of irradiation they are talking about in the article is irradiating foods with what is essentially a giant electron gun (like the one in the back of a tube TV only it fills up a large part of a building), they don’t expose these foods to x-rays, gamma rays, or anything the would leave residual radioactivity in the food. You can think of it more like electrocuting the bacteria (not quite accurate, but close enough for this discussion) than killing them with x-rays.

[mojo114]

OK Thanks. But if the word is irradiation it will bring out the howlers!! Once again ending what could save lives.

[ThePythonicCow]

You can think of it more like electrocuting the bacteria (not quite accurate, but close enough for this discussion) than killing them with x-rays.

It doesn't matter what electrical or radiation metaphor you use; if it's strong enough to zap most strep or staph germs, then it's more than strong enough to alter many other more interesting, less robust, nutrients in the food, commonly destroying their nutritional value.