Does eating irradiating food cause genetic damage?
a) No. While some people like to sensationalize a 1970‘s Indian study, it was found
that the study‘s claims were based on flawed data. Scientists from India and
elsewhere have tried, and failed, to replicate these studies.
b) The claim of abnormal chromosomes resulting from eating irradiated food has been
sensationalized as a result of a very small study done in the 1970‘s in India. The
study reported increases in the frequency of polyploid cells in animals and
malnourished children. Polyploidy means a multiple set of chromosomes; it is
naturally occurring and varies among individuals. In the early 1980‘s eight studies
with several irradiated food items were conducted in China. More than 400 people
consumed irradiated foods for 7 to 15 weeks. No significant differences in
chromosomal abnormalities were seen between the test and control groups.