shouldn't somethings be self-evident

Australian food officials caution consumers about glowing meats

SYDNEY -- An Australian food agency sought Wednesday to quell fears about glow-in-the-dark meats after a man called a Sydney radio station alarmed about his luminous pork chops.

The New South Wales state Food Authority said the phenomenon was caused by a harmless light-emitting bacteria, pseudomonas fluorescens, that is naturally present in most meats and fish.

"While most of us would understandably be shocked to see our food glowing, it is important to remember that the microorganism responsible for the glow is not known to cause food poisoning," the authority's director general, George Davey, said in a statement.

The Food Authority receives around two phone calls each month from nervous consumers who have discovered glowing meats in their refrigerators, and issued the statement to allay fears about possible radioactivity in Australia's meat supply.

"There has been some speculation in the media that glowing food might have been irradiated, and I can assure consumers that this is definitely not the case," Davey said.

While the bacteria is harmless to humans, it spreads quickly on meat that is starting to spoil, said the food agency, which recommends throwing glowing meats in the trash. (AP)