FDA : OK to zap spinach, lettuce with radiation
The government will allow food producers to start zapping fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce with just enough
radiation to kill E. coli and other dangerous germs, a key safety move amid increasing outbreaks from raw produce.
Irradiated meat has been around for years, particularly ground beef that is a favorite hiding spot for E. coli. Spices also can be irradiated.
But there had long been concern that zapping leafy greens with X-rays or other means of radiation would leave them limp. Not so with today’s modern techniques.
The Food and Drug Administration determined that irradiation indeed can kill food-poisoning germs and even lengthen the greens’ shelf life without compromising the safety or nutrient value of raw spinach and lettuce. The new regulation goes into effect Friday.
“What this does is give producers and processors one more tool in the toolbox to make these commodities safer and protect public health,” said Dr. Laura Tarantino, director of FDA’s Office of Food Additive Safety.
