Lowes Foods will begin offering irradiated fresh, ground beef to consumers at 48 of its 105 US stores from today.
The beef will be available in one-pound packages of 93 per cent lean ground beef and in 93 per cent lean ground beef patties.
"We decided to offer a choice for our customers who are concerned about making sure the ground beef they prepare is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees," said Barbara Saulpaugh, vice president of perishables marketing for Lowes Foods. "The Surebeam process to irradiate beef provides another layer of security for those who are especially concerned about eliminating the threat of e-coli bacteria in the ground beef they consume."
The irradiated ground beef sold at Lowes Foods is processed by Surebeam, which uses an electron beam generated from ordinary electricity to destroy harmful bacteria. The packaged beef passes through a beam of electricity that instantly elminates E-coli bacteria that can cause food-borne illness. Surebeam claims the process does not compromise the taste, texture or nutritional value of the beef.
The process is endorsed by The Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the American Dietetic Association, as well as a number of other organisations that believe it has great potential for preventing food-borne diseases.
"Irradiating food has been proved to be a safe way to reduce the risk of food-borne illness, while maintaining the high quality and complete nutritional value of the food," said Melissa Taylor Scherpereel, food safety communicator with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. "While irradiating food destroys 99.9 per cent of harmful bacteria that may be present in or on foods, it does not replace proper food production or safe handling procedures. Consumers should still maintain good food safety practices, such as storing meat below 40 degrees, keeping meat separate from other food products to avoid cross contamination, cooking to the appropriate temperatures and keeping hands, utensils and preparation areas clean."
Founded in 1954, Lowes Foods employs 7,500 people and operates 105 stores in North Carolina and Virginia. The company is focused on offering fresh foods and groceries.
Headquartered in San Diego, California, SureBeam is a leading provider of electron beam food safety systems and irradiation services for the food industry. SureBeam's technology prolongs shelf life, and provides disinfestation.