After several incidents of contaminated produce sickening people across the nation, the Food and Drug Administration has decided to allow food producers to use irradiation to kill dangerous organisms such as E-coli and salmonella on fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce. While the FDA contends that the process will make food safer, some food safety advocates have argued that the agency’s decisions could lower nutritional value, create unsafe chemicals and ruin taste. The FDA disputes those claims, insisting that the agency has found no serious nutritional or chemical changes associated with irradiation.

For several years the government has allowed food processors to irradiate beef, eggs, poultry, oysters and spices. The market for irradiated foods is very small because the government requires that the foods be labeled as irradiated, a label that scares many consumers. The FDA is considering a proposal that would “weaken” or change the labeling requirement.

“This is probably one of the single most significant food safety actions for fresh produce in many years,” said Robert Brackett, chief scientist for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Most GMA members say they will offer the irradiated spinach and lettuce as options for shoppers. Federal officials say that irradiation will solve some food safety concerns, but also believes there must be more regulation to ensure proper agricultural practices.