FDA allows irradiation in tainted-produce fight

WASHINGTON - Consumers may soon be able to buy fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce zapped with just enough radiation to kill E. coli and a few other germs. The Food and Drug Administration today will issue a regulation allowing spinach and lettuce sellers to take that step.

It doesn't excuse dirty produce, warned Dr. Laura Tarantino, of the FDA. Farms and processors still must follow standard rules to keep greens as clean as possible - and consumers should wash the leaves before eating them.

Irradiation of meat has been around for years, particularly for ground beef, a hiding spot for E. coli. Spices also can be irradiated.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association petitioned the FDA to allow irradiation of fresh produce, too; E. coli in spinach in 2006 killed three people and sickened nearly 200.

The industry group wouldn't name salad suppliers ready to start irradiating. But it expects niche marketing to trickle out first - bags of spinach and lettuce targeted to high-risk populations, such as people with weak immune systems "who right now may be afraid to eat uncooked produce," said its chief science officer, Robert Brackett.

A leading food safety expert said irradiation indeed can kill certain bacteria safely - but it doesn't kill viruses and it isn't as effective as tightening steps to prevent contamination at the farm.

"It won't control all hazards on these products," cautioned Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

She questioned why the FDA hasn't required growers to document such things as how they use manure and ensure the safety of irrigation water. Irrigation is suspected in a recent salmonella outbreak, attributed to tomatoes and then to Mexican hot peppers.