Bring on the irradiation but maybe call it by another name so people don't go all hysterical and think they'll grow an arm on top of their heads. And glow in the dark.

Previous attempts to market irradiated foods, (done to prolong shelf life), have failed, in part because of unanswered questions about whether or not the process changed the nutritional value of the food. The possibility of the radiation creating new compounds with long term toxicities has not been resolved, either. It is the same issue as the practice of using chlorine to disinfect drinking water. The process does produce chlorinated hydrocarbons from organic material dissolved in the water, some of which are known carcinogens. We don't want to trade a short term benefit, (fewer cases of food infection/poisoning), for more cancer later.