FDA Amends Food Regualtions To Permit Lettuce, Spinach Irradiation

Following two major salmonella scares and the ensuing media blitz of recent months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come up with their solution to potential disease-causing agents on vegetables. It has just announced that iceberg lettuce and spinach can now be subjected to irradiation. Irradiation is a process by which food is subjected to ionizing radiation. This has the effect of killing disease producing micro-organisms, killing or rendering insects sterile and bringing to a halt the natural aging and ripening process of the product. According to the FDA, this will provide consumers with a safer product and will allow lettuce and spinach to have a longer shelf life. In the past several months, both tomatoes and peppers have been the subject of FDA scrutiny following reported cases of salmonella outbreaks. Countless millions of dollars worth of tomatoes were destroyed as a result.

The irradiation of some products in the United States goes back to 1997 when the FDA began allowing the irradiation of red meat. Additional foods that may be irradiated to kill microbes include spices, poultry and shellfish including oysters, clams, mussels and scallops. The FDA says they have been evaluating irradiation and its effects for over 40 years.

While the FDA claims that irradiated food will not be altered nutritionally in any way, some consumers and critics question this as credible. Since it is known that irradiation affects the DNA structure of the product, it is certainly questionable if irradiated produce will be of any nutritional value.

Since the FDA is making the irradiation of iceberg lettuce and spinach voluntary on the part of food processors, it is quite possible that non-irradiated produce will continue to be available in the U.S. Additionally, consumers will be able to recognize that a product has been irradiated since such produce will be marked with a “radura” logo. Statements like “Treated with radiation” or “Treated by irradiation” will be stated on the package as a warning. (“Radura” is derived from “radurization” meaning subjected to “ionizing radiation.”)

Consumers who have concerns that irradiated food will be of reduced or no nutritional value will likely have to search beyond major grocer’s shelves to find lettuce and spinach in the natural state. Health food stores that sell produce, local farmer’s markets and even backyard “victory gardens” will be the most likely sources. Learning to check produce for the “radura” warning and even asking grocers about the state of their product will also be advised.

Regarding plans for more irradiation in the future, the FDA release said this: “Although this announcement only applies to fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach, other fresh produce, such as tomatoes or peppers, are included in the GMA (Grocery Manufacturer’s Association) petition (request for irradiation of lettuce and spinach) and remain under review. The FDA continues to evaluate the safe use of irradiation in additional foods.”

Source: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Irradiation: A Safe Measure for Safer Iceberg Lettuce and Spinach.”

August 2008. http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/irradiation082208.html and