Scientists discuss nuking plants for your safety

It’s hard to believe but long ago (in the days of yore perhaps) people ate vegetables without even mentioning the word E-coli. Bacteria be damned! These people were using leeches to treat fevers and lo and behold, the population did not die out from vegetable-induced bacterial maladies.

Today, in a world of post-Salmonella Jack in the Boxes, recalled bags of spinach and the dubious H1N1 flu (better known as Swine Flu), the battle against E-coli tainted food wages on.

The current weapon of choice? Potent chlorine baths. Leafy greens are washed, often three times, before they are bagged and sent out to local grocery stores.

Last year, the Los Angeles Times reported that scientists were looking for a more foolproof method which would eradicate all traces of E-coli from your nutritious and versatile greens.

Irradiation involves zapping food with high-energy gamma or electron rays to essentially nuke away pathogens. While the U.S. does not permit its use on fruits and vegetables, it could be the answer.

Scientists have been eager to find such a solution 2007’s contaminated spinach crisis that killed three and left 200 others ill. This year’s salmonella outbreak involving peanuts has only strengthened the need to keep consumers safe. 

The E-coli carrying leafy greens of the Spinach crisis had been triple-rinsed at a plant in San Juan Bautista. Since then, that same plant and many others have grappled with the idea of irradiation.

I’m all for scientists, health officials and the general public discussing a way to ensure the safety of every salad. But when people start talking about throwing gamma rays into my food to kill something that I will inevitably be exposed to anyways in my less than squeaky clean environment; I find myself shaking my head.

Irradiation may be an effective means of killing E-coli within leaves, yet it’s not without its risks.

Consumer groups have raised doubts about the safety of such a process as well as the possible presence of radioactive waste and outside radiation.

If that isn’t disheartening enough, I myself think of irradiated food and immediately see a plate full of glowing radioactive leaves. Apart from that, what if consuming mass amounts of this bacteria-free kryptonite leads to a world of calcium-enriched superheroes.

Suddenly, it all makes sense.

The Hulk, in all of his green glory, became his muscular alter ego after exposure to a blast of gamma rays.

Popeye ate spinach to restore himself to full strength.

Combine the two—radioactive spinach—and every man, woman and child could become a large, green, high-tempered sailor man.

Superheroes and the threat of mutations aside, we must confront a few more issues before jumping the gamma ray gun. Safety, effectiveness and necessity to begin with.

According to the article, scientists have yet to determine how common internalized bacteria are and whether or not such pathogens are responsible for disease outbreaks.

For right now, I’ll take my chances with E-coli. My weapon of choice? Purell Hand Sanitizer and common sense.