001134 Omaha Steaks Will Irradiate BeefNovember 18, 2000Omaha, NE - Omaha Steaks will use irradiation on its ground beef products to guard against harmful bacteria such as E. coli, the company said Friday. The mail order and food service company, which specializes in steaks and other frozen gourmet foods, has signed an agreement with The Titan Corp. of San Diego to use its electronic pasteurization technology, called SureBeam. Omaha Steaks has been looking into irradiation since the federal government approved its use in February. A voluntary recall by Omaha Steaks of about 11 tons of ground beef last month because of possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7 had no direct bearing on the decision to use irradiation, spokeswoman Sharon Bargas said. Omaha Steaks joins a list of prominent producers who have committed to using SureBeam technology, including IBP Inc., Cargill and Tyson Foods, Titan officials said. Irradiation will not change the taste of its ground beef, Omaha Steaks said, and irradiated products will be labeled to show they have been treated through that process.
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