Market Farming

[Pat Meadows <pat AT meadows.pair.com>]

On Thu, 26 Aug 2004 17:17:57 -0500, you wrote:

>Is putting food in a microwave the same as irradiation?
>

Yes and no.  

I believe that most people think of 'irradiation' as meaning
'exposure to radioactive elements'.  These elements include
uranium, plutonium, and probably other less well known
elements that I forget at present.  (My husband would know
what other elements are radioactive, but he's asleep at the
moment so I can't ask him.)

There are no radioactive elements in microwaves and none
created by microwaves either.  So it's definitely not the
same as this.

Another meaning of 'irradiation' is 'exposure to
electro-magnetic forces'.  Light, for instance, is an
electro-magnetic force.  So are radio waves (the waves that
enable you to hear something broadcast on the radio).

By this definition, food that has been microwaved *could* be
considered to have been 'irradiated'.  But by this
definition, the food is also 'irradiated' while growing in
the sunlight.  

So: yes or no.  By most peoples' definition:  no.

Pat
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