990251 Titan Corp Comments Red Meat Irradiation Rules

San Diego - Titan has received significant inquiries in response to the recent USDA announcement concerning use of radiation to eliminate bacteria in red meat. Titan's patented electron beam technology, called SureBeam(R), eliminates E. coli and listeria bacteria from contaminated red meat. Upon final approval of the USDA regulations, this electricity-based pasteurization process, already being used to sterilize medical products, is ready for immediate use by the food industry to remove the possibility of consumers' contracting food poisoning from harmful pathogens, which can result in illness and sometimes death.

The electron beam technology uses commercial electricity as the source to accelerate electrons which pass through the food product, effectively eliminating bacteria and also greatly extending the shelf life of food. There is no perceptible change in appearance, nutrition, texture or taste. The technology is as safe as using a microwave oven. When the unit is turned off, no adverse residual affects remain in the area or in the product. The only other known way to sterilize food is through the use of gamma rays, which are provided by Cobalt-60, an ever-emitting radioactive source normally imported from Canada. SureBeam(R) provides an environmentally friendly solution for food pasteurization, since there is no requirement for disposal of radioactive isotopes as exists with the Cobalt-60 process.

Titan SCAN, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Titan Corporation, operates its own facilities in San Diego and Denver to sterilize medical products, and delivers turn-key systems to pasteurize food and sterilize medical products globally. The SureBeam(R) food pasteurization system would similarly be installed as an integral part of any food processing plant, ensuring harmful microbes would be eliminated from the product prior to distribution to the public.

Titan believes the placement of radioactive materials in a food production line is impractical; thus, considers the only logical method to pasteurize food in a production line is by using Titan's patented SureBeam(R) linear accelerator. The Company has received positive response from a variety of food processing companies that have indicated interest in implementing the process into their production lines.

Greg Szabo, President and CEO of Titan SCAN said, "It doesn't make sense to place a unit powered by a radioactive isotope at a meat processing facility. However, it does make sense to install a unit powered by electricity. This is a simple, low-cost process which will help the food industry provide consumers with the safest food products possible." Szabo went on to say, "We believe SureBeam(R) is superior to other similar systems in use which rely on nuclear isotopes and we look forward to the opportunity to use SureBeam(R) to eliminate food-borne illnesses from a variety of food products. Our highly successful program of research, development and testing indicates that we are ready to implement the process as soon as the Department of Agriculture gives us its final approval."

Dr. Gene Ray, president and CEO of the Titan Corporation said, "This is another benchmark demonstrating how the Company is fulfilling its plan of strategic profitable growth through technology. The Company developed this electron beam process in the 1980s, and has been successfully using it to sterilize medical products for major manufacturers for the past six years."

When offered a choice between an electron beam system or cobalt, Titan believes that meat packers and food processors will logically select SureBeam(R).

The Titan Corporation is a leading provider and integrator of state-of-the- art information technology, satellite communications systems and services, and medical product sterilization and food pasteurization products and services. In addition to maximizing internal growth, Titan employs a strategy of acquiring businesses that can be readily integrated into its existing core businesses in order to increase profitability and grow market share. The firm has annualized sales in excess of $300 million and over 2,500 employees. Titan Corporation is headquartered in San Diego, CA.

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