When the first wave of irradiated beef hits the grocer’s shelves later this year, chances are at least some portion of it will have passed through electron-beam, food pasteurization processing facilities designed and installed by Titan Corporation (www.titan.com).

Known as the SureBeam® 10/15, Titan’s versatile electron beam machine, which was initially developed as a sterilizing device for the medical instruments industry, has been shown to eliminate E. coli and Listeria bacteria from red meat. What makes it different from other food irradiation processors is that it does not use gamma ray radiation, and does not require the storage of radioactive isotopes on the premises. And, it’s fast!

“With electron beam (technology),” notes Titan Corp. literature, “the product is subject to the necessary radiation dose in a few seconds compared to 4 to 8 hours with gamma irradiation processing. This quick dose delivery reduces oxidative effects, thus dramatically reducing discoloration and embrittlement while greatly improving shelf life and easing the conversion of products from chemical methods.”

Moreover, this is an end-of-the-line sterilization system which sterilizes the product in its final shipping case configuration, lessening the possibility for contamination of the product during handling. Plus, says Titan, the irradiated meat can be released in as little as 30 minutes after receiving its radiation dose.

Whether Titan’s futuristic pasteurization technology helps to stem the tide of anti-irradiation sentiment, only time will tell. Their pilot operation is under construction at a Cloverleaf Cold Storage facility in Sioux City, Iowa. The system will reportedly be capable of processing 50 million pounds of ground beef annually; which nonetheless represents a mere fraction of the 25 billion pounds of retail beef believed consumed each year in the United States alone.