The spinach outbreaks in 2006 has revealed one shocking question - how can E. coli and other harmful bacteria survive the power washings used to clean vegetables and fruits

    The answer? Disease-causing microbes can make their way inside the leaves of lettuce, spinach and other vegetables and fruit, where surface treatment can not reach. In addition, microbes can form biofilms on the surfaces of fruits and vegetables.

    A new study shows that irradiation kills microbes inside fruits and vegetables that otherwise would not be removed with washing alone or using chemical sanitizers.

    According to the LA Times, no health problems are associated with eating irradiated food. But irradiated food can not be certified organic and certain groups are concerned about radioactive wastes from the treatment.

    The Food and Drug Administration is still reviewing this food treatment. So in the meantime, what can we do to make sure our family is eating clean fruits and vegetables? The University of Maine lists the best way to keep raw fruits and vegetables safe, and tested commercial wash treatments such as Fit and ozone systems. You might be surprised what their results showed.

    2006年，在美國，因菠菜而暴發的大腸桿菌疫情讓世人震驚并困惑：為什么大腸桿菌以及一些其他有害細菌竟不能被那些強力蔬果洗滌劑所清除？

    答案？！那些細菌之所以難以清除，一方面是由于那些易引起疾病的細菌通常都匿藏和附著在萵苣、菠菜等蔬菜水果的葉片內部，然而這些又是一般的表面清洗所不能夠到達的地方；另一方面，是因為細菌會在蔬果表面形成生物膜。

    一項新的研究表明，輻射能夠殺死蔬果里的用一般清洗和消毒殺菌劑都無法清除和消滅的細菌。

    據美國洛杉磯時報所稱，食用經輻射處理的食物時可以完全放心，絲毫不用擔心會有細菌引發疾病。但是經輻射處理的食物就不可能是有機物了，此外，一些機構對輻射處理過程中會產生放射性廢物這一情況表示十分擔憂。

    目前，美國食品和藥物管理局還正在進一步審查和研究這種處理食物的方式。

    我們究竟該怎么做才能確保我們家人吃到的蔬菜水果是真正干凈的呢？日前，美國緬因州州立大學列出了一些用以確保蔬菜水果可安全食用的比較好的方法，并且他們還測試了我們市面上常見的一些蔬果洗滌劑，譬如Fit和ozone系列洗滌劑。不妨去看一下測試結果，測試結果可能會讓你大吃一驚哦！