After 35 Years, Company Hopes
To Irradiate Beef And Poultry

LYNCHBURG, Va. —(AP)— By Thanksgiving, a small company in Virginia hopes to show the poultry and beef industries that sterilizing meat in one of its irradiators is the best way to quell fears of food poisoning.

Lawrence Barrett began working to irradiate food in 1963 when he founded Applied Radiant Energy Corp. That was the year the U.S. government took its first step toward approving food irradiation by allowing its use on wheat powder. At the time, expansion of irradiation use looked promising.

But the anti-nuclear movement spoiled Barrett's plans.

"It seems food irradiation became connected to the nuclear industry, and to some people anything nuclear is evil," said Jim Myron, Applied Radiant's vice president in charge of research and development.

Barrett instead used the technology to irradiate wood flooring and make it more durable, while continuing to hope that the government would eventually clear the way for irradiated food.

"The regulatory processes were much more severe than I surmised," said Barrett, who needed approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Food and Drug Administration and the Agriculture Department. He also had to get environmental permits because the sterilization takes place in water.

In irradiation, packaged food is bombarded with gamma rays emanating from rods of cobalt-60. The rays will kill bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria. The process takes place in 20 feet of water in a tank with thick concrete walls and ceiling.

Irradiation has been used for years on limited amounts of produce, spices and other foods. In 1992, the FDA approved irradiation for killing bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella in poultry, but no major processor wanted to be the first to use the procedure.

However, last summer's recall of 25 million pounds of ground beef feared contaminated with E. coli sparked new interest in irradiation. In December, the FDA approved irradiation of red meat using cobalt-60 gamma rays, the process Applied Radiant uses.

Two weeks ago, ConAgra Inc. President Bruce Rohde became one of the first major food executives to publicly outline plans to install irradiation in meat-processing plants when the technology becomes feasible on a large scale.

Barrett has formed a subsidiary, Applied Food Processors, which is building a second irradiator that will be used as a test model for food processors.

"We will be irradiating poultry in the near future for research and development," said company President Wayne Zeigler.

Barrett said they're also working with a major beef processor, but he and Zeigler declined to identify which one.

After some fine-tuning, the company hopes to manufacture and sell irradiators to food companies, which would incorporate them into the assembly line.

Applied Radiant is the only irradiation system in Virginia and one of only a few companies nationally that wants to irradiate meat, but Barrett, 75, said the renewed interest in irradiation comes as he's ready to retire.

"I can't stand any more big moments at this age," he said. "It will be important to me, though."