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(5) A dose as low as 20,000 rad will effectively deal with insects in cereals. The entomology
of the process has been carefully examined. There are certain advantages over the addition of
known toxic chemicals to cereals, in particular the penetrating effect of radiation. This method
also avoids the residual toxic effects from the chemicals.
(6) Dosages in the range of 10 to 20 thousand rads have been demonstrated to deal effectively
with a range of different parasites in that these doses will prevent the maturation of the parasites
when transferred to a suitable host (e.g. especially Cysticercus bovis and Trichinalis spiralis).
(7) A dose of 10,000 rads has been found to be effective to prevent sprouting in stock
potatoes. A detailed survey in the United Kingdom was carried out in 1962. This showed that
the method was not economically competitive with the use of chemicals for this purpose because
of the marketing conditions in this country. Potatoes being a seasonal product and requiring
sale when the price is right, the use of a large source of radiation which must be kept occupied
with a large throughput was not attractive. The same criticism holds for the treatment of soft
fruit mentioned earlier.
My main concern in the use of this process is in its application to imported meat and in
particular frozen horsemeat which will be used as pet food.
Elimination of Salmonellae
The results of bacterial examination of meat indicate that salmonellosis is increasing and
is becoming a growing and menacing public health problem, due to the widespread incidence of
this infection in the animals used for human and animal food. One would like to think that only
animals free from salmonellae would be used for the production of human and animal food.
However, this is an ideal unattainable at present, so careful attention must be paid to hygiene
at all stages, from production through the lines of distribution at every point until the food reaches
the consumer. Ionizing radiations could be used to eliminate this infection first of all in animal
feeds, to lessen the incidence of salmonellae infection in the animal. Secondly the radiation
could be used to treat the meat at some stage during distribution. This could be applied to meat
intended for human consumption, or to meat intended to be marketed in the raw state for pet food.
The organism can be transmitted through pets to human beings, and there is also the possibility
of cross infection of food intended for human consumption by pet food in the domestic kitchen.
Interest has been taken in the incidence of salmonellosis in the Port of London for a number
of years. Samples taken from Argentine meat during 1961, 1962, and 1963 showed 61 percent,
40 per cent, and 41 per cent positive for salmonella in each year respectively. A similar rate
of contamination has continued since 1963. Most of this meat is sold raw for domestic pets. It
is imported ostensibly as "pet food' but is claimed to be fit for human consumption, and
accordingly when found to be infected with salmonella is regarded as unfit and so is subject to
the Meat (Staining and Sterilization) Regulations, 1960, which require meat to be sterilized, i.e.
"must be heated by boiling or by steam under pressure until every piece of meat is cooked
throughout; or dry rendered, digested or solvent processed into technical tallow, greases, glues,
feeding meals or fertilizers". The meat is normally subjected to boiling by the trade.
We cannot ensure adequate control over the importation of frozen horsemeat containing
salmonellae by the present method of examination which has the following disadvantages.
The sampling procedures are open to criticism on statistical grounds. The time of public
health inspectors and clerical staff is taken up dealing with detention, examination and release,
involving much paper work and documentation. Special arrangements have been made with the
Public Health Laboratory Service to deal with the greatly increased number of samples submitted
for bacteriological examination. Detention of cartons in storage while awaiting results of these
examinations lead to extra cost. In those instances where it is decided that the meat is not fit
for human consumption and so requires to be boiled or otherwise treated under the Meat (Staining
and Sterilization) Regulations, arrangements have to be made in many cases with the medical
officers of health of the districts in which the treatment plant is situated. This involves correspondence
to secure that the various MOsH will receive the meat into their areas and supervise
the carrying out of the Regulations.
This extended line of distribution opens the door for malpractice and the possibility of this
material being diverted for human consumption. At present there are the additional costs of
thawing and boiling, the obvious loss of water content making the end product less valuable to
the importer, and the fact that raw horsemeat is more acceptable to the trade as being more
marketable.
The advantages of using ionizing radiation would be that this process could be applied to
all the imported horsemeat Routine inspection would no longer be necessary and one would be
assured that the complete public health danger concerning salmonella in this product would be
overcome. It has the other advantages already mentioned that it could be applied to frozen meat
in its original packing and used as a continuous process.
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