Omnivore - FDA allows irradiation of spinach and lettuce

Last Friday, the Food and Drug Administration gave the go-ahead for irradiation of spinach and lettuce (and possibly tomatoes) in response to recent outbreaks of E.Coli and salmonella in our produce. Grocers and food-industry groups have been ready for the irradiation allowance for quite a while, but are consumers?

When I read about the FDA’s nod of approval to have our veggies zapped with gamma rays, the high pressure-hosing scenes from Silkwood haunted me every time I glanced in the direction of a salad. A bit extreme, I know, but quite frankly, radiation is scary. And I will admit I had some questions.

Turns out, a lot of our meat, fruit, and imported spices have been irradiated for years. Fortunately, labels will let you know which products are treated with electronic pasteurization, so if you’re not down with irradiation just yet, don’t buy the beef (or vegetables) with the Radura logo.