Nuclear War Against Nutrients?

Article by healthybalance.com staff
Posted on September 09, 2008

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration told the public that food producers would be allowed to irradiate fresh spinach and lettuce. In theory, exposing these vegetables to radiation will help reduce the presence of microorganisms like E. coli and salmonella, which have been responsible for many of the highly publicized food poisoning outbreaks of late. According to the New York Times, this is the first time the FDA has permitted any food to be irradiated at the high levels needed to protect against these types of food-borne illnesses.

While zapping nasty germs before they zap you seems like an easy way to make foods safer, many nutrition experts argue that food irradiation is not the answer to better health. In fact, many believe irradiation depletes foods of nutrients, creates potentially harmful chemicals and degrades flavor.

Loss of nutrients with no true benefit
According to the Organic Consumers Association, irradiation erases the very nutrients that make fresh produce an invaluable part of the daily diet. “Radiation destroys delicate phytochemicals in plants—the very phytochemicals protecting consumers against cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, inflammation and other diseases. Microwaving broccoli, for example, destroys up to 98% of its anti-cancer nutrients,” said Ronnie Cummins, executive director. “In a similar way, irradiating food destroys much of its nutritional content, including vitamins, carotenoids, anthocyanins and other delicate protective nutrients that are right now providing the last, desperate nutritional defense against the American diet of meat, milk, fried foods and processed junk.”

Other experts question whether the process will actually make mass produced, factory farmed foods any safer “It’s a total cop-out,” said Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch. “They (the FDA) don’t have the resources, the authority or the political will to really protect consumers from unsafe food.”

In fact, an analysis done by the Center for Science in the Public Interest demonstrated that the majority of salad-borne food poisoning outbreaks are caused by viruses which are not eliminated by the newly allowed irradiation processes.

A better alternative to irradiation would be tighter regulation of the factory farm methods that give rise to outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella poisoning. “The agency is choosing to have a high-tech expensive solution to a problem that needs a more thorough approach and one that really starts on the farm,” said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Zapping food’s not news Food processors have been irradiating other foods for quite some time, including beef, eggs, poultry, oysters and spices. However, they have not been popular with consumers who fear irradiation—and probably rightfully so. Some food manufacturers have been lobbying the FDA to lift labeling requirements so consumers don’t know when food has been irradiated. Certainly, you have a right to know whether the food you buy has been irradiated! Currently irradiated foods at the grocery store carry the Radura logo.

Other concerns, workers can be accidentally exposed to harmful levels of radiation if the high tech equipment used to irradiate foods malfunctioned. And, transport and disposal of the radioactive materials used in the process could raise additional public safety issues.

Enjoy radiation-free spinach and lettuce:
• Choose organic. Currently, irradiated foods cannot be labeled as US Certified Organic.
• Buy from local farms. Try the farmer’s market, a CSA farm or ask your grocer to include a selection of produce from local sources.
• Grow a garden. Spinach, leaf lettuce and culinary herbs are easy to grow and make attractive borders.