A Dalhousie University Professor predicts the benefits of food irradiation will overwhelm Canadians' fear of the technology.
Professor Sylvain Charlebois points out the technology has been around for almost 60 years and is already used in Canada on products such as flour, spices, onions and potatoes.
Health Canada is considering its use for beef products.
Charlebois says studies show clearly that when irradiation is used as approved, it can reduce the amount of disease-causing micro-organisms - without changing the nutritional integrity of the food.
A 2002 Health Canada study of irradiation determined Canadians were not ready for it.
Charlebois' latest Troy Media column says more than 55 other countries already allow irradiation on meat, including the U-S.
He does suggest, however, that labelling should alert consumers to foods which have been irradiated .
Charlebois argues that would help boost acceptance of the technology while also allowing consumers to make a choice as to whether they want to use those food products.
