Wasn't sure which forum to post this...I guess it fits this political forum best.

Hot off the press from OCA:

"Alert of the Week

FDA OKs Irradiated Lettuce and Spinach

Rather than dealing with the problems inherent in a disease-ridden factory-farmed food system, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in mid-September it will allow the irradiation of lettuce and spinach. Food irradiation is the controversial practice of bombarding food with high levels of x-rays (ionizing radiation) in order to destroy disease causing pathogens. Unfortunately, in the process of irradiation, other hazards arise, like the creation of toxic free radicals, vitamin and nutrient loss, and the formation of carcinogenic chemicals.

A product bearing the Radura symbol has been irradiated.

While irradiated lettuce and spinach must be labeled in supermarkets, there are currently no labeling requirements whatsoever for restaurants, schools, hospitals, or nursing homes serving irradiated produce or other nuked foods such as beef. Over the past decade, OCA and our allies in the organic community have prevented corporate agribusiness and the nuclear industry from contaminating organic standards. Food irradiation is prohibited on any product labeled as "organic." There is currently a 30 day comment period for the FDA's new rule.

Tell the FDA to clean-up industrial feedlots instead of irradiating our food "

In my words: I think that logo is sooooooooooooooo misleading. Doesn't it look all eco-friendly and inviting? Like if you don't know what the logo means, you'll think you are buying a healthy product. Holy crikey!

That was my first thought too!!

Obviously that was the goal of the company...I guess it's a bit much to ask for them to have done something closer to this, haha:

or maybe this one...'cause it's still kind of cute but also truthful. haha

that's a shame, time to start growing our own I think...

Organic food is not irradiated...and is safe...for now...

So keep buying Organic and that will be a way we can vote with our dollar.

 Wait, so just out of curiosity -- and to better understand this legislation -- what do the proponents of irradiation argue?  What are the alleged "Pros"?

It kills bacteria i.e. E coli.

What ever happened to dealing with the source of the problem and not the symptoms?

Pish tosh, that's not how we work in America.  First you cause a problem, then you solve it, or learn to live with it!

But really, they are trying to eliminate the source of the problem.  The best solution would be to end factory farming, but that's the stupid system we've created.  Irradiation is sort of a secondary measure to make sure that if somehow bacteria does get on the food, it gets killed before reaching the consumer.  But then the question is does it do more harm than good.

 are the long term effects of irradiation hazards even known?

I'm not sure there are long-term effects.  The question is basically how irradiation impacts the safety and nutrition of food, but I'm not aware of any potential long-term effects.

A large number of studies have been performed, some having demonstrated adverse effects of irradiation, and some concluding the process yields safer foods.

It's not a subject I know a lot about.  My general understanding is that obviously you're better off eliminating the source of the potential problem and thus the need for irradiation in the first place.  Until that's accomplished, I'm undecided as to whether irradiation does more harm or good.  It doesn't seem clearcut.

you'd think there would be some other option, like washing the lettuce in alcohol briefly or something, but then I guess most people don't think that irradiating food is detrimental...