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The Food and Drug Administration annunciate last week that it will allow food producers to ray spinach and iceberg lettuce to extend shelf life and limit the growth of nutrient - borne pathogens , such asSalmonellaandE. coli .
shaft is good and effectual , the FDA says . But in not addressing the root problem — a centralised solid food - processing and statistical distribution system riddle with underlying flaws that allow for the mass distribution of contaminated nutrient — irradiation is as effective as using a hammer to tug in a piece of ass . There are better tools .
Tornado Science, Facts and History
And " safe " really only applies to consumer , not the workers tasked with irradiate the vegetables . At adept , irradiation is a banding - Aid solution to keep a wiped out system gimp along .
Something ’s unspoilt than nothing
The centralized production of solid food in the United States has led to massive food recalls , thousands of deaths annually , and untold runs to the stool as 76 million Americans are turn one’s stomach each yr , according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Something require to be done .
We can advantageously baffle manure , peculiarly from massive feedlots , thesource of numerousE. colioutbreaks ; we can create compulsory sanitation operating procedures for equipment , storage areas , and gentle wind and water systems ; we can standardise hygienics facilities and practices . In sum we can implement what are now voluntary Good Agricultural Practices from the FDA and USDA .
Or we can just allow the big offenders to install expensive radiation equipment to zap away their sine .
unluckily the reality is that irradiation work . Food grown in the county of Not - Quite - indisputable - Exactly - Where , Calif. , treated with irradiation is secure on intermediate than untreated food .
No consumer health worries
Some consumer groups , such as Food and Water Watch , occupy that irradiate vegetables are substandard and even unhealthy . But countless study have been performed or analyzed by the FDA , the World Health Organization and the U.N. ’s Food and Agriculture Organization indicate no loiter radiation syndrome and no cancer or long - term health risk .
At bad , vegetables might be slightly less nutritious upon treatment by virtue of urine and carbohydrate molecule altered by the actinotherapy and respond adversely with vitamin mote .
It ’s hard to imagine iceberg lettuce having less nutritionary value ; it ’s 95 pct water restrain together by fiber and a little vitamin K. For other vegetables — such as various leafy greens not yet assoil for irradiation — the radioactivity treatment does far less hurt than boil or frying the life sentence out of the green goods , distinctive method ofAmerican cooking .
For food workers in an industry notorious for abuses , radiation therapy does set risk . The two most usual method acting for irradiation , negatron ray of light and gamma radiation syndrome from cobalt-60 , require broad concrete or pass shield to protect workers ; and the later entail the transport and storage of radioactive cloth .
business like dumb people
The tangible peril for the public is the subtle recitation of agro - empire . Many FDA and USDA rules hurtsmall farmers , who , for example , can no longer slaughter their own sum because of regulations in place as a outcome of meat - processing ill-usage commit by the gravid producer .
vainglorious business abhor regulations and would wish to have the marketplace decide the demand for irradiated vegetables , cater it can deceive people about how intellectual nourishment is produced . Currently there ’s the pesky FDA rule say that enlighten intellectual nourishment must be labeled as such . And there ’s something about the furrow " do by with radiation syndrome " that spooks us crazy consumers .
So the next big engagement for agro - conglomerates is to change " ray of light " to the euphuism " stale pasteurization . " The goal is to mistake this by consumer until stale pasteur … er , I intend bombarding with ionizing gamma radiation … becomes standard praxis for most vegetables .
You have until Sept. 21 to take your sentiment to what is called " Docket No . FDA-1999 - F-2405 " athttp://www.regulations.gov . And if you do n’t like the elbow room most nutrient is produced , you could attempt to buy local whenever potential .
Christopher Wanjek is the generator of the rule book " Bad Medicine " and " Food At Work . " Got a motion about Bad Medicine ? Email Wanjek . If it ’s really bad , he just might reply it in a future column . Bad Medicine appear each Tuesday on LiveScience .
