FDA: OK to zap spinach, lettuce with radiation

FDA: OK to zap spinach, lettuce with radiation

www.msnbc.msn.com

WASHINGTON - 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.

The Food and Drug Administration has determined that modern irradiation techniques kill food-poisoning germs without compromising the safety or nutrient value of raw spinach and lettuce. Its new rule takes effect Friday.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Making the greens wilt is not my biggest concern with food irradiation...

While irradiated foods initially caused some consumer concern, Tarantino stressed that the food itself harbors no radiation.

“There is no residue, there’s nothing left and certainly no radioactivity left,” she said.

This is the only part of the article that addressed this so-called 'consumer concern'.


www.msnbc.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I guess I will have to start buying my spinach and lettuce from local organic growers rather than retailer stores for now on.

I heard about this on Lou Dobbs and I think he said that the treated produce will be labeled, which at the very least is encouraging. Lets hope the label is a green, glowing skull and crossbones

One mention of the word "radiation" and people start freaking out. They've been doing this to our meat for years. Have you developed cancer yet? No doubt that the levels that they will be 'zapping' food with are so low that it wont make a difference to us.

Hell, they used to put radioactive metals in child's chemistry sets in the 50's and 60's. Are your parents deformed? I'll take an infinitesimal amount of radiation over E. Coli any day.

[edit on 8/21/2008 by InterestedObserver]

Well it's pretty well known that red meat increases the risk for colon cancer. These are the same people that think Fluoride is good for people, just one in a list of "safe" toxins.

You do know that their are a lot of bacteria in our environment, and in our intestines, including E. Coli? We have adapted as a species to handle bacteria, I'm not so sure about radiated food. A healthy person can eat E. Coli and will show few if any side effects. The people that die from contaminated food and the really old or those with weakened immune systems, which frankly, are about a hair away from death anyways.

[edit on 21-8-2008 by ghaleon12]

Stories like this, and the fact that they have been blasting our meats for awhile now are exactly why I stopped going to stores and either grow it myself or buy from local farmers. Eat better, get away from the corporate farms, they are going to kill us all.

Well, all that e-coli (was it?) that was found in all those tomatoes in the states earlier this year would be the perfect reason for pushing all this through?
Did any other countries have problems with this, I wonder?

So that's why we've had these produce e-coli outbreaks lately..., gotta create a problem in order to justify that pre-packaged, off-the-shelf solution.

Another step laid in place.

I just do not trust the FDA and find it hard to believe that it's being done for the 'safety' of the general populace.


"the way', of the same thought, yep!



[edit on 21-8-2008 by FewWorldOrder]

Well that is why I stop eating red meats, they can radiate anything they want, I chose the way I eat and radiation is not in my menu.

Just got my package today from Baker Creek Heirloom seed Co.

I plan to try growing all of my lettuce and greens (wide variety) in the kitchen, I ordered grow lights and will place them under the kitchen cabnet which should work out just right with those long terracotta plastic containers. It should look good and be a good example for my family and friends that come to visit. Im excited about it and to hell with the FDA.

reply to post by marg6043


Marg I spent so little on the seed and the grow light was a 17 inch one for 12usd. I ordered a second bulb as my old one got stomped, so I will have 34 inches of lettuces and goodies, but what I mean to say is that you can do the same and grow what you know is healthy, safe and you can let a bit go to seed for a continuous indoor winter garden. Hurry because they will be irradiating the mail soon too, they know people are wising up and they do want us harmed.

From the moment I first heard of the salmonella problem in produce, I knew they'd use it to push through an irradiation program. It brings me no joy to be able to say "I told you so" to friends and family.

I will also be buying from the local farmer's markets from now on, since sadly my homegrown salad greens didn't produce much.

I do have to wonder about the claim that meat has been irradiated for years. If that is truly the case, how would one account for the numerous beef recalls. If I'm not mistaken, there has been about 3 beef recalls so far just this year in various parts of the US. Either this meat really isn't being irradited, or the irradiation process is ineffective. Worrisome either way.

Originally posted by InterestedObserver
One mention of the word "radiation" and people start freaking out. They've been doing this to our meat for years. Have you developed cancer yet?

Given the amount of people that die from cancer every year, maybe you should have reworded your question ALITTLE better.

Hell, they used to put radioactive metals in child's chemistry sets in the 50's and 60's. Are your parents deformed? I'll take an infinitesimal amount of radiation over E. Coli any day.

Us 12-24 year olds tend to think our parents are.

Originally posted by InterestedObserver
One mention of the word "radiation" and people start freaking out. They've been doing this to our meat for years. Have you developed cancer yet? No doubt that the levels that they will be 'zapping' food with are so low that it wont make a difference to us.

Hell, they used to put radioactive metals in child's chemistry sets in the 50's and 60's. Are your parents deformed? I'll take an infinitesimal amount of radiation over E. Coli any day.

[edit on 8/21/2008 by InterestedObserver]

Considering cancer is on the high rise today, I'm sure many people could answer YES to your question.

I am sure people would want to know the total effect of consuming irradiated food over long periods of time.

I am all for them zapping my food with ultra small amounts of radiation.
Almost 10 years ago, I had a very good friend of mine die from eating tainted blueberries that were imported from a (un-named) 3rd world country. He was a health nut, and wanted nothing but pure organic. One morning he put blueberries on his cold cereal and began to eat. The blueberries tasted funny, so he took them out, but finished the cereal along with the milk. A few days later, he felt bad and went to the Doctor. He contracted Lou Gehrig's disease, and within a year he was dead. I'm not sure if radiation would have killed the virus that was on the blueberries, but maybe it would have. Just because it says "Organic", you're still at risk.

Well, perhaps if the food was irratiated, he would have been safe. But what about the millions of people that didn't get sick? Their food is irradiated and many people could be exposed to potential toxins. I hate to say it, but if a person with AIDS dies from some E. Coli it doesn't justify irradiating all food to save him, as an example.

I guess the best thing to do is give people a choice, and they can do what they think is best for them. The problem is now, there is a big push to irradiate all foods so the choice is gone. Almonds in California now have to be pasturized, they can not legally be sold without some form of cooking. Even if you walk up to an almond farmer and offer him a load of money for some raw almonds, he can't sell them. That is wrong and its the direction things are going.

[edit on 21-8-2008 by ghaleon12]

Originally posted by sc2099
Making the greens wilt is not my biggest concern with food irradiation...

While irradiated foods initially caused some consumer concern, Tarantino stressed that the food itself harbors no radiation.

“There is no residue, there’s nothing left and certainly no radioactivity left,” she said.

Considering that the dna of what we eat is incorporated into our bodies, I would be concerned of damage done to the cells and dna by radiation. I highly doubt that the FDA is above corruption.

Things get passed by the FDA with cash and promises of good jobs when they leave the FDA. Business as usual.

Between irradiation and GMO, our food's DNA is going to be so messed up
It's sad really. The organic consumers and natural health people are pretty hardcore though so they will be fighting tooth and nail to prevent choice from disappearing.

[edit on 21-8-2008 by ghaleon12]

Originally posted by InterestedObserver
I'll take an infinitesimal amount of radiation over E. Coli any day.

Okay, this particular head of lettuce has an "infintestimal" amount of radiation when you eat it...That spinach also has an infintestimal amount of radiation: Radiation poisoning is accumulative!

There's a certain limit that a human body can take (without illness), but that's measured in a lifetime's worth, no matter how many small does you've had during that time. Get enough "infintestimal" amounts over a long period of time & it still ends up with the same problem as a single, massive dose.

No, I'm not a nuclear engineer, but by my ASVAB scores in the military, I qualified for any rate I wanted. Even then, there's a certain amount of CBR training the military gives to everyone. Plus add to the fact that I don't just sit on the laurels based from my public schooling...I've always been a prodigious reader since I first learned how to read. Medical aspects of radiation is one study I've done more than "slightly touched" in my time.

Originally posted by InterestedObserver
Have you developed cancer yet?
-------
Hell, they used to put radioactive metals in child's chemistry sets in the 50's and 60's. Are your parents deformed?

Actually, both of my parents did die of cancer...Although I don't believe that it was caused by what you mentioned. However, one thing that might be researched could be: Even accounting for increasing population, is there any significant increase in cancer cases over the course of the the past 3 or more generations? How many other cancer-causing factors must also be accounted for, in order to pinpoint how many of those cases were due to possible long-term increases in "normal" background radiation? Did you even think to try to find an answer to such questions before you posted?
Before anyone tries to insult me for saying it that way, I must admit that, no, I' haven't tried to find those answers yet...At this point, I'm merely asking the questions.

Originally posted by ghaleon12
Well it's pretty well known that red meat increases the risk for colon cancer. These are the same people that think Fluoride is good for people, just one in a list of "safe" toxins.

Case in point: Do you think that, when the dentist gives you a flouride treatment, he/she has a good reason to tell you to spit it out? This is because it's toxic when ingested...It's fine in the dentist's office & you spit it out, but to include it in water for ingestion is a big "no-no" for good health.

Originally posted by ghaleon12
You do know that their are a lot of bacteria in our environment, and in our intestines, including E. Coli? We have adapted as a species to handle bacteria, I'm not so sure about radiated food.

That's true: The intestinal bacteria (I don't remember the exact name of it right now) is essential for us to be able to digest any food at all...It's a symbiotic relationship. If you ever get the runs, a doctor can tell you to eat yogurt (with active cultures) because it replenishes the bacteria you lose when you...ummm...squirt it out.

Originally posted by FewWorldOrder
I just do not trust the FDA...

Neither do I. They let aspartame go through as an artificial sweetener, but it's a neurotoxin that turns into something quite similar to formaldehyde as you metabolize it. Not to mention all of the "new" drugs you see advertized a lot on TV...How many people actually notice that the "side effects" causes worse conditions than what you'd be taking them for in the first place?

Originally posted by ghaleon12
The organic consumers and natural health people are pretty hardcore though so they will be fighting tooth and nail to prevent choice from disappearing.

Yeah, but their voices alone won't be enough...We "consumers" have to help "pump up the volume."

As for myself, I'd rather choose marg6043's suggestion...