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where we were joined by a number of other officers and civilian research and food technology experts who described the process of ionizing radiation to destroy the harmful bacteria while preserving the food without canning or smoking. The irradiation process was so complete that if the food were maintained in an antiseptic or dust free atmosphere, it wouldn't be attacked and would remain uncontaminated. However, because the atmosphere was as dirty as any other atmosphere inside any other building, the food was wrapped in cellophane. Other foods were packaged in a clear plastic wrap and were displayed for visitors like us just as if they were on supermarket shelves. "We first wanted to determine whether the whole concept of irradiated food was safe, " one of the engineers explained. "So our first studies were made with food which was irradiated and then stored in the frozen area. We fed these foods to rats and noticed no harmful effects. Then we did the same thing except this time we increased the radiation to six mega rads and then froze the food. Again, no harmful effects. " His presentation continued while we ate, accompanied by charts that showed how the sterilization rate was increased to try to find any harmful effects on rats. Then they tested the irradiated and then frozen food on human volunteers. The engineer was waiting for this question because he had his answer already prepared. He acted like he'd been asked it many times before. "Because, " he said, "we were testing only for harmful effects from the radiation, not for spoilage, not for taste, not even for harmful effects from the food itself even though we knew it had been sterilized and was tested completely free from bacteria when it was defrosted. What we needed to prove in field trials was the harmlessness to animals and humans of the irradiation process. " Then he described the field trials to prove that irradiation preserved food stored at room temperature. "We selected high spoilage foods, " he said. "Like the meats, chicken, and especially the seafood. We also made composite foods like stews which we fed to rats and dogs along with straight meat and then straight tuna. We first irradiated a sample at three mega rads then another sample at six mega rads and tested the animals over a period of six months to see whether radiation became concentrated in any of their organs or bones. "He paused, letting the dramatic effect of what he was going to say sink in while we were sinking our teeth into the irradiated foods that resulted from the years of experimentation throughout the 1950s. "No toxicological effects whatsoever. And we were very thorough before we tested these foods on human volunteers. " "We're setting taste trials of favorite foods at Fort Lee, Virginia, to see how troops in the field respond to this. We think that before the end of the decade we'll have a variety of Meals Ready to Eat for troops in the field who have no benefit of cooking facilities or refrigeration. " General Trudeau looked across the table at me and | nodded. This was perfectly good food that was right up to any quality you'd care to measure. "Gentlemen, " General Trudeau said as he stood. As a three star general, he was the highest ranking officer in the room, and when he spoke everyone was silent. "My assistant believes that your work is of utmost importance to the U.S. Army, our nation, and the world, and will contribute to our travel in space. | am of the very same opinion. We are most impressed with your test results and want to help you expand your operation and speed up the testing process. The army needs what you've developed. In the next two weeks, submit to me your supplementary budget to expand your operation and | want it also included into next year's budget. " Then he turned to me, nodded, and we thanked the commanding general for lunch and walked out to General Trudeau's helicopter. General Trudeau laughed as we whisked off the helipad and headed back for the short jump to the Pentagon. "Now you have to get to work on finding out what you can about your atomic propulsion system. If NASA ever gets it into its mind to push ahead with building its space station, I'd like the military to have a power source that can keep us up there for a while. If we can get a surveillance window on our visitors, | want it sooner rather than later. " And before the week was out, | was at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, again looking at the developments the army had made in the development of portable nuclear reactors. 97 "But wait, "| asked. "I still don't understand why you irradiated the food and then froze it." "What's next?" | asked. "How about that, Phil?" he asked. "I think we checked off some of the items on your list right on the spot. " The pilot helped the general into his seat and | got around on the other side. "So what do you think?" he asked again. "| think if we move any faster we'll have the EBEs down here asking for some of our irradiated food, "| said.