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Dr. Mercola
May 06 2008
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Your Mother Was Right -- and Wrong -- About Washing Fruits and Vegetables

washing produce, strawberriesWashing fruits and vegetables does reduce the risk of food poisoning. However, washing alone may not be enough.

Studies show that some disease-causing microbes can evade even chemical sanitizers. These bacteria can make their way inside the leaves of lettuce, spinach and other vegetables and fruit, where surface treatments cannot reach them. Microbes can also organize themselves into tightly knit packs called biofilms to protect themselves from harm.

Biofilms can harbor multiple versions of infectious, disease-causing bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli.

Researchers suggested that irradiation, a food treatment that exposes food to a source of electron beams, could effectively kill internalized pathogens that are beyond the reach of conventional chemical sanitizers.

Irradiation disrupts the genetic material of living cells, inactivating parasites and destroying pathogens and insects in food.
Sources:
  • The American Chemical Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 10, 2008


Dr. MercolaDr. Mercola's Comments:
Most of you probably wash your produce in the same way: by swishing it around in some water. Quite frankly, if that is the only thing you are doing, let me save you some time and suggest that you stop doing this as it is virtually ineffective.

What Works and What I Recommend

In the last few months I learned of the most amazing system to solve the food infections problem SAFELY. It does it by soaking the food in water saturated with ozone. The ozone is a very potent oxidizer and it will not only selectively kill all the microbes on your produce BUT, and more importantly for most of us, it will break down all the pesticides that are on the outside of the vegetables. That is the primary reason I use it.

Ozone, unlike radiation or chemicals, will not damage the vitality of the produce you are going to consume. This is FAR safer than soaking your produce in bleach, which while it will work, is clearly toxic to you.

Ozone can be toxic if you breathe it in large quantities, but when it is dissolved in water and acting on the vegetables, it is completely harmless.

The name of the product is the Lotus Sanitizing System. You can pick up this handy, device at Amazon for a little over $100.

If you own a large commercial food operation I would suggest contacting the company directly, as they have larger units that are now successfully used in many restaurants.

The FDA is Pushing Dangerous and Damaging Ways to Sanitize Foods

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been considering irradiation since 1999. What exactly is irradiation?

Irradiated foods are exposed to a radiant energy source such as gamma rays or electron beams, which create positive and negative charges. This process disrupts the genetic material of living cells, which kills pathogens, insects and just about anything. The process also extends the shelf-life of foods, as the FDA boasts that “irradiated strawberries stay unspoiled up to three weeks, versus three to five days for untreated berries.”

But at what expense?

Irradiation Also Destroys Nutrients

It says so right on the FDA’s Web site:

“The process [irradiation] may cause a small loss of nutrients but no more so than with other processing methods such as cooking, canning, or heat pasteurization.”

Well, as most of you reading this are probably all-too-aware of, the reason why I, and many other nutrition-minded experts, recommend eating a good portion of your food RAW is because of this very reason.

The moment you cook, heat, pasteurize or irradiate most food you lose a major element of its vitality. The energetic element of food -- such as biophoton nutrition -- is largely undervalued in the United States, and the only way to get it is from raw foods.

Meanwhile, when foods are cooked or heated:
  • Nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are depleted, destroyed, and altered.
  • The biochemical structure and nutrient makeup of the food is altered from its original state. Molecules in the food are deranged, degraded, and broken down.
  • The interrelationship of nutrients is altered from its natural synergistic makeup.
  • All of the digestive-friendly enzymes present in raw foods are destroyed.
So imagine what would happen if ALL food, including your fresh produce, was irradiated before it reached your hands. These once lively and health-giving foods would be, literally, dead. And they would not provide the health benefits that raw, natural foods are known for.

Well, There Was That Spinach Scare

You remember, back in 2006, during which all spinach was pulled from store shelves.

Well, the researchers that are behind the above study are using that as a springboard to suggest that irradiation is necessary for fruits and vegetables.

"The spinach outbreak in the fall of 2006, in particular, raised questions about how these organisms survived the various treatments that are applied -- the rinses and the washes and things,” the study’s lead researcher, Brendan A. Niemira, told the Washington Post.

A similar thing happened after a couple of salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 were traced back to raw almonds. The USDA then announced that they would require all raw almonds to be pasteurized. Now, if you want to buy truly raw almonds, you have to get them from a grower overseas.

So if the idea of irradiating fresh produce sounds like a long-shot, it may not be so far off. The USDA is applying its flawed logic once again, and suggesting that since it is possible to become sick from a raw food, you had best kill everything on it (good or bad) before you eat it.

Your Body Can Handle Some Microbes

Very few things in this world are meant to be sterile. Your body is certainly not, and neither is the food you eat. But that’s perfectly fine. It’s supposed to be that way.

In most cases, if your immune system is healthy your body will be more than able to fight off an occasional bad bug in your food. And in the cases when it can’t, the resulting food poisoning is typically a self-limiting illness (particularly if you treat it with high doses of a high-quality probiotic).

Food that is raised in healthy conditions is also less likely to harbor illness-causing microbes, but instead of focusing on getting food producers to clean up their acts, the USDA and the FDA are focusing on how to kill healthy food supplies.

So what can you do?

You Can Avoid Irradiated Foods

For now, food that is irradiated must be labeled as such (except for spices, which are usually irradiated and not labeled). This may not be the case for long, however, as the FDA is considering allowing some irradiated foods to simply be labeled as pasteurized.

For now, though, keep a look out for foods labeled as "treated with radiation," "treated by irradiation,” or that contain the international symbol for irradiation, the radura:
 
radura, irradiation symbol


Remember that what’s needed to keep your food supply safe is not a hefty dose of irradiation. What are needed are healthy animals and non-toxic growing practices. So if you want to find food that is safe for you and your family, avoid the symbol above like the plague, and buy your food from a local farmer near you who still takes pride in raising food the healthy “old-fashioned” way -- no irradiation required.
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Community Comments ( 53 )
 Comment on this Article
  
  
BeeGirl
 [ Joined on 04/08 ] [ Posted on April 18, 2008 ]
16 Points        
   
 
Novice User
I eat organic produce, but I only rinse it with water if there is dirt on it. If not, I don't.
Either the danger is overrated or I'm extremely lucky or perhaps totally unbeknownst even to myself, I'm Superwoman but suffering from amnesia.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
ozone Jerry
 		[ Joined on 09/07 ]  [ Posted on May 6, 2008]
3 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

I have been using ozone for years on fruit meats and veggies. I even use ozone on organic because organic food growers are allowed by law to use choline to wash there food. Some ozone units do not put out enought ozone to do the job properly, you need to find out the ozone output and the amount of time you soak your food. I work with the Pan American group of the International Ozone assoc. on the agri. food tack force and this is the group along with E.P.R.I. got this process approved by the F.D.A. So do some homework before you buy, and learn about all the ways ozone can help in your life. Jerry Earth Safe Ozone
Mercola
  
A Storm
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on May 7, 2008]
4 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

With all the negative reports on the Ozone sanitizer, I would like to offer this recipe for veg wash.

FRUIT AND VEG WASH

1 c water

1 c vinegar

1 T baking soda

20 drops grapefruit seed extract

Mix it up.  It will foam/expand but will stop.  Pour in a spray bottle and use.

If you look on the commercial 'washes', they are similar but with other ingredients/chemicals.  This is a better alternative and cheaper!!
Mercola
  
Steve Hengsperger
 		[ Joined on 05/08 ]  [ Posted on May 16, 2008]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Negative reports?  We had quality problems caused by one of our suppliers about 2 years ago.  We recalled ALL product and replaced with new in the field.  Not only have we been recently awarded with Innovator of the Year but we also won Time Magazine Best Invention after the E Coli/Spinach outbreak.

I'm sorry, watch Sanjay Gupta on CNN, nothing works other than our process or irradiation.  Bleach and water was the most effective and it only got to 50% reduction.  Why go through all this trouble mixing these ingredients when you can take the water from your tap, charge it and use it for so many different applications...safely?
  
  
Dr Rik
[ Joined on 11/06 ] [ Posted on May 6, 2008 ]
11 Points        
   
 
Savvy User

with all due respect

these infectious microbes are from FECAL material. That's right, crapping in our own food supply. Quit mincing around it and call it what it is.

Makes no difference if it's organic or not, if it has crap on it.

These problems were virtually nonexistent when people raised their own food because they didn't smear crap on their own food supply. These industrial people DON'T CARE.

Washing it with plain water does remove a lot of the crap. Washing with a bit of soap does even better. Of course that doesn't guarantee anything. Just reduces the numbers of critters.

Interestingly, with meats, the traditional high salt, sugar marinades (BBQ, Teriyaki) will kill and inhibit crappy critters.

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
RAnitnora
 		[ Joined on 03/08 ]  [ Posted on May 8, 2008]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

You are right, unknown to most people the solid waste that remains once our 'waste' has made it to the sewage treatment plant is transported to industrial farms to be used to as a fertilizer.
  
  
New to Natural
 [ Joined on 11/07 ] [ Posted on April 18, 2008 ]
11 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
"Irradiation exposes food to a source of electron beams, creating positive and negative charges. It disrupts the genetic material of living cells, inactivating parasites and destroying pathogens and insects in food, including E. coli and Salmonella, the scientists say."

Which means that irradiation will also destroy vitamins, minerals and nutrients. 
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Barbiec1953
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on May 6, 2008]
8 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

I hope no one has forgotten

that ALMONDS are irridated

but can still be labeled as

RAW ! It makes me so sad to

see our food being messed

with and there doesn't seem

to be a perceptable outcry

in the mainstream of society.

If we don't buy it they won't sell it !
  
  
barbhoney
 [ Joined on 08/06 ] [ Posted on May 6, 2008 ]
9 Points        
   
 
Novice User

I went to amazon.com to check out the Lotus Sanitizer that Dr. Mercola talked about. The negative reviews bring up some very interesting questions about this unit, such as whether or not there is airborne ozone being generated (not good) and how much power is being consumed by the unit. Also, Sharper Image, the original purveyor of this item, is struggling as I read that the company is in Chapter 11; I don't know if that would affect distribution or not. At any rate amazon.com and their fabulous customer sevice dept would undoubtedly make it right. I think it would be better to grow your own produce whenever possible, and eschew items that have traveled hundreds of miles from exotic locations (like bananas) or else find local sources of produce. That would reduce the carbon footprint of eating, support the local farming base AND not make it necessary to purchase an item like this that requires you plug it into the wall and consume even more precious electricity.

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Steve Hengsperger
 		[ Joined on 05/08 ]  [ Posted on May 16, 2008]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Please read my comments after any negative review.  You will find that there is a reasonable explaination why they were having problems.
  
  
seg
 [ Joined on 11/06 ] [ Posted on April 18, 2008 ]
9 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
All the more reason to have a good pumped up imune system.......Buy foods from trustworthy local sources if you can and stay away from the chemical laden sanitizers and irradiated crap foods.....
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
DrScott
 		[ Joined on 05/08 ]  [ Posted on May 6, 2008]
3 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

There is evidence that shows that eating microbes is healthy for us...we all have heard of probiotics, but what about all the other junk that comes along with it now.  There is also evidence that shows that the probiotic bacteria are a million times less in the soil than just 60 years ago.  It seems plausible then that using Dr Mercola's method of cleaning and washing produce and meats is excellent, as long as you supplement with a good probiotic formula.  Our bodies need the probiotic microbes!!!

Remember to buy from farmers who have been farming organic for years...before it was a 'money' industry bandwagon.
  
  
Dr Ranicki
 [ Joined on 05/07 ] [ Posted on May 6, 2008 ]
7 Points        
   
 
Novice User

If you are going to use ozonated water there may not be much point in eating the fruits and vegetables in the first place. Ozone is a powerful oxidizer and much of the anti-oxidants in the fruits and vegetables will be used in neutralizing the oxidative effect of the ozone. Not a very sensible approach in my opinion.

If I want to wash something like and apple or pepper I will use a little dish soap and lather it up wil my hands and rinse it well. While this is far from perfect, at leaast it makes me feel like I am getting rid of whatever might have been on the hands of the guy who picked my fruit right after scratching himself.

For something like leafy greens or broccoli you could try running it through the dishwasher with the steam dry cycle. it will samitize and cook the veggies all in one step. Yes, that part was just a joke.

What's really funny is the look on someones face when you point out to them that if you could really wash the pesticides off of produce then rain and irrigation would make the pesticides worthless in the first place.

Besides, when you rinse your produce with water you are adding all of the prescription drugs in our water supply.

I guess there's not many options other than to grow your own and water with collected rainwater.

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Steve Hengsperger
 		[ Joined on 05/08 ]  [ Posted on May 16, 2008]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

On the contrary, ozone in water is a powerful oxidizer, and it is FDA and USDA approved because it does not neutralize any of the anti-oxidants in your produce.  Irradiation is not approved because it does.  Ozone is used to purify water for this very reason as well, because it leaves all of the minerals in.  Your approach to washing your produce is not effective and you should not advise us to do this without some sound research proving your claims.
Mercola
  
RobinAnne
 		[ Joined on 10/07 ]  [ Posted on May 16, 2008]