Irradiated Spices and Labelling
So, the FDA has become concerned about the safety of spices. A recent outbreak of salmonella linked to tainted red pepper flakes that sickened 85. It is a fair concern - this is not an isolated incident. Salmonella can thrive for years on dried food and most spices are raised in parts of the world with growing practices and food safety procedures that are dramatically different from our own.
Sometimes this means we are buying essentially organic stuff raised by small scale farmers. Sometimes it means we are buying pesticide laden products grown on soil poisoned with heavy metals that are absorbed into the plants and can cause brain farts.
It's a mixed bag and we should pay attention to these things.
That said.... we are talking about spices here. They are not normally eaten in mass quantity and are a flavoring.
One method of making spices safer would be to irradiate them and, indeed, most spices used in commercially produced food is irradiated. Most spices sold at the retail level, however, are not irradiated. This is because you need to label food that has been irradiated - and people do not want to buy irradiated food. Some in the spice industry would like to see this labeling restriction removed. They want to irradiate and not tell us.
I think that is bunk. I am not opposed to irradiation in general - it has been shown to be a safe and effective way of killing bacteria - but, it does alter the taste of food somewhat. When we are talking about spices that matters to me. I want to be able to buy the real deal and know what I am getting.
There are other ways of ensuring the safety of spices. McCormick does not irradiate any of its retail products and has never been linked to an outbreak of illness. They deal with the potential problem of contamination by working with their providers, teaching them safer handling techniques.
I am not saying irradiated spices should not be sold - I just want to be able to make the call as to whether or not I will buy them. The labels should stay.
Sometimes this means we are buying essentially organic stuff raised by small scale farmers. Sometimes it means we are buying pesticide laden products grown on soil poisoned with heavy metals that are absorbed into the plants and can cause brain farts.
It's a mixed bag and we should pay attention to these things.
That said.... we are talking about spices here. They are not normally eaten in mass quantity and are a flavoring.
One method of making spices safer would be to irradiate them and, indeed, most spices used in commercially produced food is irradiated. Most spices sold at the retail level, however, are not irradiated. This is because you need to label food that has been irradiated - and people do not want to buy irradiated food. Some in the spice industry would like to see this labeling restriction removed. They want to irradiate and not tell us.
I think that is bunk. I am not opposed to irradiation in general - it has been shown to be a safe and effective way of killing bacteria - but, it does alter the taste of food somewhat. When we are talking about spices that matters to me. I want to be able to buy the real deal and know what I am getting.
There are other ways of ensuring the safety of spices. McCormick does not irradiate any of its retail products and has never been linked to an outbreak of illness. They deal with the potential problem of contamination by working with their providers, teaching them safer handling techniques.
I am not saying irradiated spices should not be sold - I just want to be able to make the call as to whether or not I will buy them. The labels should stay.