Is Your Lettuce Irradiated? It Might Be.
The FDA will now allow producers of fresh iceberg lettuce and spinach to use ionizing radiation on the greens to prevent the spread of pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella. Don’t be too surprised, apparently irradiated meat has been on the market for years, although not being much of a meat eater, THAT was a surprise to me!
My questions are:
-
1) Is it safe and healthy?
- 2) Is this the best solution they’ve come up with?
The FDA answers question #1 with a definitive YES, and the Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer rights group, answers #2 with an unfortunate YES. The group has expressed its disbelief that the FDA has turned to radiation rather than working to help prevent contamination of the lettuce and spinach from the get-go. You can read more at the sources listed below.
What are you thoughts on this? I, myself, will try harder to get to the farmer’s markets to pick up my lettuce and spinach.
Sources:
“F.D.A. Allows Irradiation of Some Produce” - The New York Times, August 21, 2008
“FDA to permit irradiation of spinach, lettuce” - San Francisco Chronicle, SF Gate online, August 22, 2008
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