Food Irradiation - Papayas

[2008]

[Attendee]

I have a question in regards to the radiation of the vegetables now that started today.

[Aajonus]

Only two vegetables and they're than the mainstream. They're not gonna go to the health food stores, that goes into the regular supermarkets. Are you buying food from the regular supermarket?

[Attendee]

No, no, no, no, no. I'm just was wondering is it only spinach and lettuce?

[Aajonus]

It's only spinach and lettuce right now.

It's almost all papayas that enters this country are irradiated. If you see a papaya shriveled and burned on one side, they've been irradiated.

[Kathy]

Well, where do you buy your papayas then?

[Aajonus]

Then you just have to look for organic and look at them and make sure they're organic and not irradiated.

So, you look for shriveled side with a burn, just on one part of that papaya. If you see that on the papaya, it's been irradiated and that's the way you have to look for it.

[Attendee]

You didn't say avocados. Just those three?

[Aajonus]

But they've been doing potatoes for 25 years. They've been increasingly and they let you know a little at a time.

If you're not shopping at a supermarket, you're going to be okay. If you're shopping for vegetables and fruit at a regular supermarket, you're risking irradiated food.

[Attendee]

Whole Foods?

[Aajonus]

Whole Foods, not yet. Nothing they buy is irradiated, those companies aren't big enough to have those irradiated. Radiating your food is very complex and complicated and expensive.

So, it's only these big conglomerates like Kroger's, A&P, Ralphs, supermarkets like that.

[Attendee]

Why do they do it?

[Aajonus]

Because it so called kills bacteria, has a longer shelf life.

[Attendee]

And also it brings our health down. It's not giving any nutrients.