In order to determine if the myelin sheath of nerves can regenerate, researchers fed cats a diet of irradiated foods for 3 to 4 months to damage the cats’ nerves. This resulted in classic multiple sclerosis symptoms of paralysis, loss of vision, and loss of mobility.
Presumably, the researchers knew to feed irradiated foods to cats to produce MS symptoms following news that 16 Australian cats were euthanized after eating irradiated cat foods. The Australian Quarantine Inspection Services (AQIS) announced that irradiated cat foods would no longer be acceptable for import.
The U.S. FDA has been steadily approving irradiated foods for humans, but no long term studies of ill effect have been done to prove safety. The longest study done so far lasted 15 weeks. Irradiation acts by breaking down the DNA of germs to kill them. However, the process also breaks down the DNA of foodstuffs, forming new chemical compounds.