Irradiate meat

Re: “Alberta E. coli cases climb,” Oct. 3.

E. coli contamination could be eliminated if meat were irradiated with gamma rays. Canadian technology for irradiation is world class.

Gamma irradiation is safe, fast and cheap. It would add perhaps three cents a pound to the cost of food, but would eliminate any food poisoning from processing sources.

What prevents companies like XL Foods from using irradiation? The irrational fears of members of the public who believe irradiation sterilization is somehow connected to nuclear irradiation. I expect that if the public could look at the reality, they would find more people have been killed by food-borne illnesses in a few days than have been killed in the entire history of gamma irradiation.

Tony Warren, Calgary