FDA Allows Irradiation Pasteurization on Spinach, Lettuce; ISU ...

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FDA Allows Irradiation Pasteurization on Spinach, Lettuce; ISULong-Time Advocate
Iowa Ag Connection - 08/25/2008

The Food and Drug Administration's release Friday of a regulationthat will allow irradiation pasteurization to be used on freshspinach and iceberg lettuce to kill illness-causing bacteria is astep that two Iowa State University professors have long advocated.

Dennis Olson is a professor of animal science and directs IowaState's Linear Accelerator Facility, one of only twocommercial-sized irradiation facilities for food research anddemonstration on a U.S. university campus. He has researched foodirradiation for more than a decade, and is an expert in foodsafety, particularly in the area of meat processing. (The FDA hasallowed irradiation of red meat to control pathogens since 1997; inpoultry since 1990).

Had the FDA rule been in place sooner, Olson is convinced thatirradiation could have prevented some of the illnesses and threedeaths that occurred during spinach and lettuce outbreaks in 2006.

"If we treat all of the lettuce and spinach, then there's going tobe a very rare instance of exposure to illness-causingmicroorganisms," Olson said. "What's sad is that the FDA, after anearly nine-year review, selected only two products involved withthe massive illnesses in 2006." The FDA is still considering whatother types of produce might be safely irradiated -- for example,other leafy vegetables, tomatoes and peppers.

What's significant about the new FDA rule is that it is the firsttime the federal government has allowed produce to be irradiated atlevels sufficient to kill E. coli, salmonella and listeria --microorganisms that make people sick. The FDA has approved the useof irradiation to eliminate insects from wheat, potatoes, flour,spices, tea, fruits and vegetables since 1985, but it couldn't beused to treat vegetative pathogens until now.

Cost and consumer acceptance are two obstacles that still stand inthe way of large amounts of leafy greens being treated withirradiation.

"I suspect it will take awhile for the supply chain to get intoplace because of the limited number of irradiation facilities inplace in the U.S.," said Sam Beattie, Extension food safetyspecialist and an assistant professor of food science and humannutrition at Iowa State. "These facilities are relatively expensiveto build, so you have to make sure you have adequate product flowand a market for that product."

"It would have to be new construction, that's for sure," Olsonadded. "We wouldn't expect any immediate adoption, and in factindustry won't move forward unless they are sure there won't be abacklash from consumer activists. The other issue is that there isa lot more product now being labeled organic, and you cannotirradiate products labeled organic."

Both Beattie and Olson say American consumers are more willing tobuy irradiated food than they may have been in the past. And theconcern that zapping greens might leave them limp or cause them totaste differently is no longer an issue.

"There's been a lot of research done on that, and basically,products that have treated with irradiation are as good or betterafter 14 days (typical travel time) than those that haven't," Olsonsaid.

"We now know that in order to kill E. coli on this type of product,we can turn down the dosage level -- the power of the beam --effectively, and lettuce and spinach remain just as crisp andwholesome as if you grew it yourself," Beattie said.

He added, "The American consumer has shown willingness to purchaseirradiated products such as strawberries and meats. Once consumersunderstand the food safety implications, their unfounded worriesabout the safety of the cold pasteurization process are eliminated,even though there are a lot of naysayers and anti-irradiationpeople giving inaccurate information."

"The experience with ground beef is that consumers have not reactednegatively to the label," Olson said. "The only negative reactionis to price. It costs more."

The Iowa State professors are quick to point out that irradiationwill not solve every instance of illness-causing bacteria onproduce. Good agricultural practices, such as control of irrigationwater and washing water, restriction of animals in produce fields,and personal hygiene of workers all affect the safety of fruits andvegetables. Further, safe food handling practices at home and infood service establishments also are important to ensure the safetyof produce.

"In 2006, there were an estimated 50 billion servings of green,leafy salads served in this country, and there were approximately1,200 people made ill," Beattie said. "The odds of getting afood-borne illness from produce are already extremely low basedupon the number of servings that we see. But what we have torecognize is that irradiation is one more tool we can use to ensurethe safety of our products. This is especially important forat-risk populations -- immune-compromised folks, pregnant women,children under the age of eight, and elderly. These people are athigh risk for food-borne illness and it may be useful to feed themgreens that have been irradiated, for that last margin of safety."

Olson noted, "The real importance of this rule is that producecompanies wouldn't even look at the technology unless thegovernment approved it. The new FDA rule makes them more inclinedto take a fresh look at it."

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