Let’s get one thing straight up front. Just because the
government has ruled that spinach and lettuce can now be zapped
with radiation to kill E. coli, salmonella and other nasty bugs,
it doesn’t mean that the produce will be radioactive, warm to
the touch or even pre-cooked. The decision by the Food and Drug
Administration has been long awaited since the Grocery
Manufacturers Association petitioned the agency in 2000 to allow
producers to irradiate a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
and prepared foods. The equipment is costly, but well worth it
to producers because the process also can control insects and
parasites, reduce spoilage, and extend shelf-life. However,
Thursday’s action by the federal food protectors limits the use
of zoomies only to spinach and iceberg lettuce. “I wish it could
be used on all greens, all types of lettuce, and herbs like
basil and parsley and cilantro,” said Dr. Christine Bruhn, a
researcher from the University of California, Davis Center for
Consumer Research. Bruhn, who sa