FDA OKs Radiation To Kill Germs In Leafy Greens

[Food Network Fan]

FDA OKs Radiation To Kill Germs In Leafy Greens

CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch

WASHINGTON (CBS) ― 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. But food companies long worried that zapping leafy greens with X-rays or other means of radiation would leave them limp.

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.MORE HERE

[ibcheft]

I wonder how much research has been done on this? will we find out later, they had information that it might kill a few of us off ? like I heard today, they had information about the jalapeños peppers a long time ago, way before the tomato scare.please Mr Custer I don't want to go.

[Food Network Fan]

They say they have been doing it to meat, and it hasn't killed us ... yet.

[Pluff Mudder]

I guess as long as we don't start glowing in the dark...

[BerryBaby]

I can just see it...you turn out the lights and husband says, "Did you have salad for dinner? You are glowing bright orange!"

[Chefnot]

It's a good thing and it's about time. The technology has been here. But I have a few questions about it's use and ground beef.

[PicBuddy]

Not sure if anyone has noticed, but did ya know that spinach is salted now?

My wife is primarily a grass eater (I'm the meat eater), and about a month ago she had this funky look on her face when chowing down on her usual evening salad. I said, "What's up?" And she said, "Blech! This is SALTY!"... I told her that spinach doesn't come with salt. And I was wrong. Went and got the package out of the trash, and SURE NUFF!!! Now it comes with a nutri-sheet that lists none other than sodium... It seemed like a small amount like .03% or something, but I could taste it too. Was pretty rank.

Since it was a pretty expensive organic package, we took it back to the store to exchange it. Talked to our favorite produce monger at the HEB and he said yeah, they were getting a few complaints, but that it wasn't gonna change, because it makes the product safer. He said that ALL spinach it salted now....

What is this world coming too....

[Food Network Fan]

Actually, Spinach is one vegetable that will grow reasonably well in naturally salty soil and absorb it into the leaves. Salt is abundant in nature and many things acquire it naturally. Even we as humans are made up of a good bit of salt in our mix.

Beet's, kale, asparagus and Spinach are all considered to have a high salt tolerance. The reason so many people became sick during the last spinach recall was because spinach leaves absorb and holds things from the soil. Maybe that's what your produce guy meant.

But if you have land with a high salt content those are the recommended crops to grow because they tolerate amounts that would kill other plants.
Here's a link with more info....http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$departm.../all/agdex4246

[PicBuddy]

Quite interesting, thanks.

I wonder if the spinach she bought was grown in salty soil? Because if I remember correctly, the sodium content was only like .03%. We're going to the grocery store in a few hours so I am going to double check that. That to me didn't seem to be enough to cause this spinach to taste like that. But it was very salty. Didn't even taste like any spinach I have ever eaten...

Maybe we should try another package. Perhaps it was an isolated incident, of some grown in sandy soil.... I know she misses her spinach and has not bought any since. Japanese diets tend to have much less salt than ours, and shes a walking salt detector. I have to really be careful with salt in my cooking, or she won't eat it.

So thanks for the info. We will pick up another package tonight and see how it is...

[Food Network Fan]

I have seen people grow watermelon and turnips in salty soil also. But since they weren't mentioned at the link I left them off. Might check on those as well.