Food Irradiation and e.coli outbreak

In light of the most recent scare of E.Coli related deaths and illness in Europe I thought it would be a good time to take another look at food irradiation. This week's Newsweek article "Rise of the Superbacteria" Carl Zimmer interviews  Philip Tarr a microbiologist and an expert on E.coli strains from Washington University on the European outbreak most heavily affecting Germany.  The strain causing illness and deaths is called O104:H4 a strain that has never been associated with epidemics before however the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cite two cases of diarrheal illness in the Republic of Georgia caused by a with a slightly different structure that was less resistant to antibiotics.
As of June 8 the World Health Organization reports the 2808 people have developed

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) or Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)( a type of kidney failure) and 26 people in Germany have died as a result of these conditions.   E. Coli strains range from not causing any illness to those producing Shiga toxins that cause diarrhea often bloody, mild fever, urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, and kidney failure. 

While the source of the e.coli strain causing illness in Europe is not yet identified Germany health officials have advised against eating raw sprouts, tomatoes, leafy salads, and cucumbers grown in North Germany.

The CDC's website lists the most common sources of E.coli here is an excerpt:

 

"Exposures that result in illness include consumption of contaminated food, consumption of unpasteurized (raw) milk, consumption of water that has not been disinfected, contact with cattle, or contact with the feces of infected people. Some foods are considered to carry such a high risk of infection with E. coli O157 or another germ that health officials recommend that people avoid them completely. These foods include unpasteurized (raw) milk, unpasteurized apple cider, and soft cheeses made from raw milk. Sometimes the contact is pretty obvious (working with cows at a dairy or changing diapers, for example), but sometimes it is not (like eating an undercooked hamburger or a contaminated piece of lettuce). People have gotten infected by swallowing lake water while swimming, touching the environment in petting zoos and other animal exhibits, and by eating food prepared by people who did not wash their hands well after using the toilet. Almost everyone has some risk of infection."

This leads back to the idea of food irradiation as PHilip Tarr said in this week's Newsweek article "We'r going to have to rethink food safety. It may even be necessary to take a drastic step, such as irradiating fresh produce. I can tell you how to cook a hamburger to make it safe, but I can't tell you how to prepare a head of lettuce to make it safe. "

Another barrier ( fear of getting sick) to Americans eating fresh produce is a concern considering most Americans don't eat much produce. The top vegetable eaten is potatoes usually in the form of french fries. 

Here is a link to the CDC's page on Food Irradiation: Food Irradiation