The New York Times editorial page tackled the subject of irradiated foodrecently. In late August, the FDA approved the use of ionizing radiation to kill bacteria on spinach and lettuce. Sounds kind of scary, but according to the FDA, the World Health Organization, the CDC, and the AMA, irradiation is a safe way to kill deadly bugs like E. coli, salmonella and listeria. Irradiation is already approved for use in meat, poultry, spices, oysters, clams and mussels.However, the NY Times editorial cautions that irradiation is not a "magic bullet," as the approved doses are not strong enough to kill some bugs responsible for food poisoning outbreaks, urging the development of comprehensive food safety programs.
Foods treated with irradiation need to be labeled with a radura symbol and the words "radiated" or "irradiated." However, there is a proposal before the FDA to lift that requirement.
Consumer safety groups disagree with the FDA's approval of irradiation, such as Joel Mendelson of The Center for Food Safety. In a recent letter to the WSJ, Mendelson writes that irradiation is just a "quick fix" and doesn't deal with the real problems in food safety.
In the meantime, here are 12 Raw Food Safety Tips, to help you eat your fruits and veggies a bit more safely.
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