Food / Tony Tantillo

FDA Approves Radiation To Kill Bacteria On Greens

Iceberg Lettuce & Spinach Now Can Be Treated To Eliminate E. Coli, Other Germs

NEW YORK (CBS) ― In a move to ease families' fears about food safety, the government issued new regulations for irradiating two common salad greens Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration is now allowing producers of iceberg lettuce and spinach to take one extra step for safety's sake: zapping the veggies with enough radiation to kill E. coli and a few other germs.

"If it kills the E. coli and makes it safe, that's fine with me," New York resident Marc Schwarzschild said. "I'm not afraid of radiation."

"It kills the bacteria, makes it so they're not able to reproduce and not able to make you sick," Dr. Brendan Niemira, a microbiologist, said.

The move comes two years after a deadly E. coli outbreak from spinach across the country, followed by several lettuce recalls.

While medical experts say irradiation is safe and effective, the FDA reminds us it isn't a fallback.

Growers and processors still have to follow tough government regulations for "clean greens," and consumers should continue washing their produce.

"I thoroughly wash all of my vegetables, fruits, everything before I use them, even though they say they're pre-washed on the package," New Jersey resident Loretta Fitzpatrick said.

With today's modern technology, the FDA has determined the right amount of irradiation won't cause produce to lose nutrients or vitamins, and could even extend the vegetables' shelf life.

Currently, the process has only been approved for iceberg lettuce and spinach.

"I don't care if they put it in a chamber and irradiate it with blue ultraviolet light or whatever," consumer Mike Myers said. "I don't want to die just because I have a spinach salad."

The FDA stresses the sapped food harbors no radiation. The FDA is looking into irradiating other produce as well.

The technique has been used on meat for years.

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