Minnesota embarks on USDA-sponsored irradiation education pilot for school lunch program; objectivity questioned by Carole Sugarman Food Chemical News, February 10, 2003 As USDA mulls over how to implement its charge from the 2002 Farm Bill to allow the use of irradiated foods in the school lunch program, it's also funding a pilot project in three Minnesota school districts. No schools are actually serving irradiated burgers. This is an education program only, designed to help people decide whether irradiated burgers should show up at their school cafeteria. And that's what concerns people like anti-irradiation activist Tony Corbo of Public Citizen, who's worried that the 'education' may be slanted. "They're going to use the brain-washing technique," as he put it. "We don't think it will be a balanced presentation." According to USDA, the state of Minnesota approached the agency about sponsoring a school food safety and irradiation education pilot. Minnesota's beef council and health department have long been promoters of irradiation, and supermarkets and restaurants there were among the first in the nation to sell irradiated ground beef. So under a grant from USDA, Minnesota's Department of Children, Families and Learning along with the state's Food and Nutrition Service selected three districts--Sauk Rapids, Spring Lake Park and Willmar--to participate in the pilot. The first phase is currently underway, Doug Gray, spokesman for the state's food and nutrition service, told Food Chemical News. And that's the "survey" phase, in which parents, educators and school administrators are being asked about their knowledge and awareness of food safety in general and irradiation in particular, Gray said. The next phase will involving developing educational materials and distributing them to each participating district. According to USDA, Minnesota is taking the lead on writing and preparing the materials, while the agency will share some basic information. Gray said after those materials are refined, they would be available to other school districts in the state or the country. As for the types of educational activities that will be pursued, Gray said that it's up to each participating district. They might decide to simply hand out brochures and flyers, or do something "more elaborate" such as hold public meetings, Gray added. At the end, an analysis will be done to see how those educational activities affected everyone's knowledge and awareness. Concerning the state's historical support of irradiation and its effect on the objectivity of the education materials, Gray said that "what we're trying to promote is good food safety practices. If a school district decides to use irradiated ground beef, that would be their decision." OCA note: Here's the 'straight' news story: Pilot project will survey knowledge of beef irradiation January 22, 2003 AP: School districts in Willmar, Sauk Rapids and Spring Lake Park are testing an education project on the use of irradiated ground beef in school lunches to help districts around the state decide whether to use irradiated beef. Irradiated beef has been available commercially for several years, but few, if any, Minnesota school districts now serve irradiated ground beef in the school lunchroom. That may change later this year, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture begins offering irradiated beef through its school commodities program. Schools won't be required to buy the beef, said Mary Hunn, a food and nutrition services supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning and director of the food safety and irradiation education project. The pilot program will deal only with education, giving districts a framework to help them decide whether to use the product, Hunn said. "The project is an educational project to provide the latest, the best science-based information to school communities," she said. "It's just one option in ensuring safe food." Irradiation uses low levels of ionizing radiation on meat, fruit, vegetables and other foods to delay spoilage, extend their shelf life and reduce or destroy microorganisms that can cause food-borne illness. "Food-borne illness is a widespread issue in our country and it is growing," Hunn said. In Minnesota, food-borne illnesses result in some 30,000 hospitalizations each year, according to the state Health Department. Salmonella, campylobacter and other bacteria can cause serious illness. Some strains of E. coli can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially fatal kidney complication. The elderly and those under age 15 are especially at risk of becoming seriously ill from food-borne infection. The U.S. food industry began using irradiation in the 1960s to control insects in wheat and flour and to prevent potatoes from sprouting. It is now a widespread food safety tool in Europe and elsewhere around the globe, but has been slow to catch on in the United States. Hunn said the pilot education project was developed after a preliminary survey found a low level of public knowledge about irradiation. The project starts this month with an assessment of general knowledge and attitudes about food safety and irradiation in each of the three school districts. The first phase will involve surveys of school administrators, food service staff, teachers, parents and students in the higher grade levels. In the second phase, these same groups will be given information about food safety and food irradiation. This could happen through in-service workshops, handouts and Web sites, Hunn said. In the final phase, to take place before the school year ends in May, officials will evaluate how effective the education was in preparing the three school districts to make decisions about using irradiated beef. An evaluation of the overall project also will be conducted this summer for the Agriculture Department, Hunn said. By fall, state education officials plan to have educational materials ready to hand out to school districts looking for technical assistance on the use of irradiated ground beef.