Mr. Walter Hereford, Jr.
Vice President of Finance
Jill-at-the-Grill Hamburgers
10021 Parkland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60624

Dear Mr. Hereford:

Let me first offer my condolences regarding the recent tragedy involving patrons of your restaurants.

Outbreaks of the responsible pathogen, Escherichia coli O157:H7, have increased recently and affect between 7,000 and 20,000 Americans each year at a cost of $174.3 to $467.7 million. Unfortunate as your experience is, it is becoming more and more common.

Fortunately, there is now an alternative. The Food and Drug Administration has just added beef to the list of foods approved for processing using irradiation. This proven technology has already been used to kill pathogens in pork and poultry, and the market for such meats is brisk. The level of pathogens in raw poultry can be reduced 99.9% by a single low dose of radiation.

Irradiation of food is a safe method that does not leave residual radioactivity in the food. Food treated in this way is completely safe for human consumption as has been shown by over forty years of animal and human studies, including one in which humans consuming 100% of their diet in irradiated food showed no ill effect.

If you would like further information on the technology of food irradiation feel free to contact me. You can also find the American Dietetic Association's position on this matter at their web site: http://www.eatright.org/Public/GovernmentAffairs/92_adap0200.cfm.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Sweet, Ph.D., RD
President