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The nuclear industry and the global food industry: what a pair. This dynamic duo banded together over food irradiation, which allowed the nuclear industry to branch out into new fields and the food industry to envision an even greater worldwide reach. Giant food companies, which are becoming larger by gobbling up smaller companies and operating in dozens of countries under many brand names, have a pesky problem: after a while, food spoils. More importantly, at least to the consumer, is that some of their practices, like fast line speeds in slaughterhouses and crowded factory farms, also cause food-borne illness. Thus, food irradiation sounds like a great solution to these companies, because it allows food to be shipped farther and stay on grocery store shelves longer, while it kills bacteria. However, food irradiation may promote cancer development and cause genetic damage. Moreover, these giant food companies, which use food irradiation as a tool to further globalize, threaten local businesses and harm small-scale farmers around the world.

So far, food irradiation hasn’t been very successful: consumers rarely buy irradiated food and most grocery stores don’t carry it. But the food industry is still pursuing the technology and continues to plan food irradiation facilities overseas. We must work to stop this practice once and for all.