New technology pasteurizes meat and poultry

A San Diego, California, company unveiled new technology in Sioux City todayit says can kill potentially deadly bacteria in chicken and hamburger. TheC-E-O of the Titan Company, Gene Wray, says the process uses electricity andnot radiation.The meat is bombarded with electricity that destroys the bacteria withoutdestroying the look or taste of the meat.Wray says the “SureBeam” technology electronically pasteurizes meat and hebelieves it will become commonplace.Iowa State University professor Dennis Olson has conducted tests with thetechnology for the past six years. Olson says the meat is put on a conveyorand pasteurized in a relatively quick process.Olson says scientific advances in electronics made this technology possible.He says some of the technology developed for the “Star Wars” defense systemled to the electronic pasteurization technology.Wray says the technology has received F-D-A approval and the company expectsapproval from the U-S Department of Agriculture in early December. Wraysays electronically pasteurized food could be on store shelves by early nextyear.