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Friday, August 22, 2008
Would you buy irradiated spinach or lettuce?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Spinach and iceberg lettuce can be irradiated to kill harmful bacteria, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday. Read the latest news story
What does that mean?
Irradiation is ionizing radiation, applied to food as gamma rays from radioisotopes, or electron beams or X-rays from machines. It penetrates into food to kill germs, and also kills insects on the surface of foods. Irradiation extends a product’s shelf life.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association of America asked the FDA to approve irradiation of leafy greens several years ago. Many consumer groups opposed it, instead pressing the FDA to impose more stringent farm-to-table safety standards.
The FDA approval only includes iceberg lettuce and spinach; other leafy greens, like romaine lettuce, may be added later. And the FDA continues to advise consumers to wash all leafy greens, including irradiated ones, before eating them.
Food that is irradiated must be labeled, a requirement that industry is trying to change. Industry petitions call for a more generic label like “pasteurized.” Irradiation can affect the flavor and texture of food, depending on the dose level; those promoting irradiating leafy greens say consumers won’t notice any changes at the levels used.
The approval comes at an interesting time. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to investigate a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that’s been tied to tomatoes and serrano peppers, one that’s still making Americans ill, albeit at a much slower rate than at its peak. Both agencies have been criticized for their handling of the investigation, with much of that criticism falling on the FDA.
At the same time, the produce industry is facing hundreds of million in losses from unsold tomatoes, jalapenos and serranos, the latest in a string of outbreak-related losses. In 2006, an e. coli 0157:H7 outbreak tied to spinach caused 205 confirmed illnesses and three deaths, and the spinach industry took a big hit. Sales suffered months after the outbreak had ended, with some shoppers continuing to avoid the food.
Consumers are the wild card in this situation. Will Americans embrace irradiation of iceberg lettuce, which has little to offer but its crunch, if irradiation affects that texture? Will those who seek out spinach for its healthfulness buy it if it’s been irradiated? Will people who avoid fresh salads now because they’re at higher risk for foodborne illness be able to eat and enjoy them again because they’ve been treated to reduce bacteria?
In the past, shoppers have had a mixed reaction. Irradiated foods such as beef have been a tough sell, but tropical fruit from Hawaii and spices haven’t faced the same level of resistance.
You can read the arguments for irradiation here and against irradiation, here.
Would you buy irradiated fresh spinach or iceberg lettuce? Why or why not?
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