I'm glad we brought       the umbrella...   The forecast said     it was going to     irradiate today.

I am appalled that you are considering the pasteurization, or in better terms, irradiation of natural greens for market. Irradiation is a dangerous process that renders living food lifeless and devoid of life-giving enzymes. Is it any wonder the number of so many food-related illnesses is growing in leaps and bounds as we forge ahead and make our food supply even more and more nutritionless? Companies should be held responsible for bringing safe and healthy food to our tables by employing clean agricultural practices. We the consumers should not have to pay with our health and lives by allowing the government to mandate the irradiation and subsequent death of our healthy food supply just because big agribusinesses cannot uphold their end of running a clean business. KEEP OUR FOOD FREE FROM IRRADIATION TREATMENT AND PASTEURIZATION! Raw food is natural. Raw food is good and life-supporting. We the consumers should be given the option and freedom to continue to purchase raw unadulterated food.
***I find it appalling that this proposal was introduced on Wednesday and comments are due by Monday! First off, the comment period MUST be extended (by at least two months) on this proposal as this will directly effect the health of so many consumers. It is a completely unfair practice to pass these types of regulations without giving consumers the opportunity to comment (and I believe it is the consumer who should decide, ultimately, NOT any government agency, what they put into their bodies). On that note, I am adamantly opposed to any type of regulation requiring the irradiation or disinfection of any vegetable products, as I do not want to lose any of the nutritional value of the food and/or ingest chlorine. (I do not buy the argument that irradiation does not affect food value or that bleach can be washed off or is not harmful in small amounts). I have no problem with the idea of this procedure being an OPTION to the consumer, and be specially labeled. However, as an across the board idea, I find it unnerving. Currently, I raise most of my own vegetables, as I prefer to be the only person in charge of my family's food supply. I am not alone, and the more regulations that are passed to ensure the "safety" of the food supply, the more people will follow suit in securing their own food supply. Ultimately, this may be bad for the economy. I hope those in charge of this deceit are able to look at the situation rationally and not simply respond to scare tactics, etc. There are better ways to prevent food poisoning, such as cleaning up unsanitary farming practices. Thank you for your time and have a good day. Sincerely, Jamie Wilcox
*** Re: Docket ID AMS-FV-07-0090 Federal Register pages 56678-56680, vol. 72, no. 192, October 4, 2007 Dear USDA Agriculture Marketing Service, As a consumer of organic foods and a participant in Community Supported Agriculture, (CSA's), otherwise known as Subscription Farming, I would like to strongly register my support for Organic Farming and Small Farming, and Local Farming by stating MY OPPOSITION to the proposed rule AMS-FV-07-0090. In the examination of episodes of E. coli contamination of produce it is important to differentiate between the output of large non-organic corporations and small, particularly organic, producers. The small producers who grow for the local market have not been the problem. It is the large producers who have had the problems, and in particular, the producers of bagged, prewashed leafy produce. Thus, it is unfair to penalize small farmers who grow for a local market when it is the large growers and shippers of bagged and prewashed produce who have had the problems. The good safety record for small farmers in the area of green vegetable production is largely due to the fact that for small, local producers, there is already a bond of trust between the consumer and the farmer, since either the consumer is acquainted with the farmer personally, or the local marketer or co-op knows the farmer personally. This results in increased motivation on the part of the farmer to supply the very best quality. When the supply chain passes through many hands over long distances and involves large amounts of produce, there is a tendency to cut quality and attentiveness, resulting in problems such as we have seen in the E. coli scare. Also, in terms of a cost-benefit analysis, for me personally, the known and constant damage to the produce in terms of reduced vitamin content due to irradiation far outweighs any potential danger of E. coli contamination. To conclude, the "One Size Fits All" approach which has resulted in this proposed rule does not make sense, since clearly not all producers are the same size. PLEASE EXEMPT SMALL, LOCAL, ORGANIC, AND NON-BAGGED PRODUCERS OF LEAFY GREENS FROM THIS REGULATION. Sincerely, Theodore W. Horner Jr.
***I strongly oppose any ruling that would require mandatory pasteurization of raw green vegetables. I know that the FDA promotes and uses irradiation methods to "pasteurize" foods, and this is completely unacceptable. Put pressure on the agribusiness industry to protect the consumer from microbial contaminants. Our foods are already very devitalized of important minerals and other nutritional factors because of depleted soil, etc. Do not irradiate our raw greens. They are a very important aspect of nutrition, offering the most protection from cancers and other debilitating illnesses. To regulate so-called pasteurization of raw greens will cause great hardship and is an insane attempt to protect the public by slowing killing them. This kind of ruling is already in effect for raw milk and almonds, not to mention the genetically modified seeds that are destroying the efficacy of natural seeds.

My friends and I feel more and more under siege by the FDA and their seeming attempts to take away our freedom of choice regarding the most basic freedom we possess: to decide what we put into our bodies.**Please, Please PLEASE DO NOT "pasteurize" our green vegetables! This is a serious crime, for which the government needs to be made responsible.

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.Pasteurizing is basically irradiation -which means that our vegetables will be burned with carcinogenic, banned rocket fuel. There is absolutely no need for this practice...If hygiene is a problem, then set stricter standards for workers and equipment, but to place all of us at risk by bombarding our food with unnecessary carcinogens is a violation of our personal rights. Thank you for listening.A concerned citizen, Olivia Barham
*** Dear Sirs, I request that more be done to assure the safety of water applied to crops, and that procedures such as irradiation or chemical sterilization not be applied to leafy green crops, or any other crops for that matter, and especially not to those designated or certified as organic. Our food is our best medicine, and the source of our earthly nourishment. We are ignorant of the full effects of such procedures on the nutrient value of our crops, and we must preserve not only the nutrient content of our food, but the beneficial symbioses that may be destroyed through large scale, ignorant sterilization of our food supply. Contamination of our food crops is a serious concern for us all, and yet we must not "throw out the baby with the bath water", that is, we must not destroy the real fuel and living energy that our foods, specifically our tender, fresh leafy greens provide, in order to give the public seemingly safe, yet energetically empty, perhaps even harmful, produce. We must meet the challenge of modern food safety without creating a dangerous quick fix that may well do more harm than we can presently imagine. All who buy produce have a right to expect that they are purchasing the vitamins and minerals and health-sustaining content of each specific food. In addition, customers purchasing 'certified organic', or 'organically grown' or 'all natural' produce, are entering into an agreement of trust with their suppliers. This trust will be broken if the crops they purchase are altered by sterilization in any form. Let's maintain the integrity of our real food, and find ways to minimize the dangers of contamination without implementing solutions, the long-range effects of which we cannot understand. Thank you for you attention, and your fair consideration of my viewpoint. Sincerely, Valerie L. Hawes, owner, Hawes Farm, Half Moon Bay, CA certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers
***I am opposed to the pasteurization of all or any greens. I am also opposed to the irradiation of any food products. I am 63 years old and have never seen any need to modify foods beyond simple washing. What has happened to common sense? This would also make a joke of the concept of organic foods which I eat because I KNOW they are healthier.
***I am writing to voice my strong opposition to Docket ID AMS-FV-07-0090. To force the irradiation (pasteurization is a euphemism here) of green leafy vegetables is absolutely the wrong approach to food safety and nutrition. I am, and have been, an avid consumer of organic leafy green vegetables for 20+ yrs, in fact, as a vegan, it is the staple of my diet. I do NOT want my food irradiated - it is nonsensical! To insure better food safety, reverse the deregulation that was started by Reagan, and put into action many more food inspectors. Stop relying on food processors to regulate themselves, and start doing what a government should, inspect the food properly, by agents of US government agencies, working on behalf of the US consumer.
***I am against the pasteurization or irradiation of leafy greens, especially without clear and visible labeling. Heating vegetables kills crucial enzymes and nutrients that are important for living a healthy and illness free life. Heating vegetables before consumers even have the choice as to how they would like to prepare them is a huge misuse of government power and regulation. Further, agri-business corporations should take responsibility for food production and use more hygienic handling practices and more prudent shipping methods, even if it costs them a little more, rather than passing the burden on to the consumer in the form of toxic, devitalized food devoid of most of its nutritional value. Ultimately, it will cost them more in healthcare and employment costs if they continue to deplete the nutritional value of our food supply.
***I beg you NOT to pass the proposal to irradiate or bleach our leafy greens. Please keep American food healthy and safe. But don't do it by destroying our food supply. Americans need the important dense nutrients that are found in leafy vegetables. Vitamin content is destroyed by irradiation. It may also cause other problems too ? still unknown. Since irradiated food is permanently altered. Bleaching adds chlorine, a known carcinogen. Which can't be rinsed off. It is absorbed by porous vegetables. Irradiation and bleaching are not the answer to the ecoli outbreaks. The problem is related to poor farming practices: using sewage as fertilizer, letting sewage from nearby sources leach into crops, and poor sanitary conditions, such as workers not washing hands. It makes more sense to solve e. coli problems at the source, rather than destroying the food we eat. Also, I am requesting that this comment period is extended by two more months. Thank you. Marion Siegel
*** The comment period for this crucial issue must be extended by a couple of months! Irradiation is proven to destroy vitamin content of fresh vegetables, not to mention yet-unknown other problems. Bleach is a known carcinogen - how can we even contemplate making this mandatory?! We should be focusing on the source of the problem, such as poor sanitary conditions and worker cleanliness, rather than destroying the food supply and making it inedible.
***Re: Docket ID AMS-FV-07-0090 Federal Register pages 56678-56680, vol. 72, no. 192, October 4, 2007 Dear USDA Agriculture Marketing Service, This is not a feasible or fair plan for small and med.-size farmers with biodiversity (a number of different crops). Take action at the level this problem was at---large-scale operations that ship long distance--have them clean up their act and perhaps decrease the distance leafy greens can be sent. They have a short shelf life. That is just the way it is. The E. Coli breakout is a message to eat more locally grown foods. It is a message to support our smale-scale, local, organic farmers. This proposal would not do that, so if you are going to pass it, exempt the small-scale farmers and organic farmers. I'm a leafy green eater and supporter of sustainable, organic farming practices--these are practices that support our life in every way. I choose to keep my vegetables as nature intended them. Raw and Organic. Please don't try to defy nature with this "kill" approach (irradiation--what is being done to our almonds already, for example). This is exactly what it does. It kills everything, including the life supporting enzymes and nutrients the food was meant to give us. If you kill the enzymes and nutrients, there is no point in eating that "food" any more. It has nothing to give us. Respect and work with the way nature is instead. Raw food isn't meant to last forever. Let's stop trying to make it last forever. This is why eating more locally grown food and smaller-scale farming makes sense. This is why the E.-Coli problem was with large-scale companies that ship long distances. That is why action needs to be taken at the large-scale farming operations level only at this time. Thank you, Kathy Laible
***I prefer to keep my organic greens organic and I am outraged that you are doing this! First you require that almonds be "pasteurized" by burning them with carcinogenic, banned rocket fuel and still allow them to be labeled as raw. Now you are proposing that all greens be irradiated, and on top of it, you are misleading the public by referring to the process as "pasteurization." It is a fact that both irradiation and true pasteurization deplete nutrients from food sources. It is not necessary, it is an added burden to growers who will then raise our prices, and most of all, it is not healthy. Please stop messing with our food!
*** Please do not allow the irradiation of our green foods especially organic greens. It causes nutrients to be eliminated and we are already eating food that has less nutrients than our parents were eating 40 years ago. Thank you
***I am writing to voice my opposition to this bill. Irradiation destroys vitamin content of vegetables and may cause other problems yet unknown when irradiated foods are ingested as irradiation permanently alters the nature of that food. Bleaching adds chlorine, a known carcinogen, to your food--rinsing it off does not solve the problem as vegetables are porous and absorb whatever is applied to them / sprayed on them, including the chlorine. Most outbreaks of e-coli (etc.) have been related to poor farming practices--eg. using sewage as fertilizer or letting sewage from nearby sources leach into crops--or poor sanitary conditions, such as workers not washing hands--so it makes more sense to solve problems at the source rather than destroy the food supply. As the mother of a toddler I am always monitoring the foods she eats, and wish to retain that control. Please do not change the green vegetables in our food supply by doing any of the practices proposed in this bill.
***I strongly oppose any proposal to irradiate green vegetables. This is no substitute for the sanitary handling of vegetables, and enacting this proposal will only encourage poor handling. This is ample research evidence that irradiation adversely affects the taste and flavor of fresh vegetables. It is reasonable to assume that the nutritional value of these greens will also be affected. Even if you dispute these assertions, if you allow irradiation you will be denying millions of food enthusiasts their right to fresh, properly handled, flavorful vegetables. Growers should be required to exercise adequate sanitary practices. I don't want my greens irradiated. Neither do millions of other Americans. This is a very bad idea.
***If you use the word "pasteurize" to mean irradiation, you're leaving a nice, wide-open door for lawsuits, for not only this, but for all Federal Laws and Regulation. For if you are able to re-write or make up definitions for key terms, then so can anyone reading the law! Whoopee!!!!! I think I just found my Cash Cow! Really, now, would YOU ingest food produced near Chernobyl?
***The over-sterilization and processing of our food has consequences that are unforeseen to us and is not unlike the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The public deserves the choice to regulate what nutrients are put into the body. Although our highly centralized food industry does seem at risk for mass-contamination, do not allow the irradiation of food to be compulsory for ALL vegetable producers. Those who own small farms or contribute to CSA's and/or green markets should be able to sufficiently manage the quality of their produce so that those citizens who wish to choose minimally processed foods still have the option to do so. Thank you for taking the time to consider my comments. Sincerely, Ashley Edwards
***To all concerned, I have just received word of the new proposal to pasteurize all greens for sale. I am appalled at how this can even be considered. As a voice for thousands in the support of pure, nutritious foods, and the health of our entire nation at large, I strongly urge you to put a stop to this irradiation process to our food supply, and especially to our greens. We want the agri-business corporations to take responsibility and use more hygienic handling practices and more prudent shipping methods, even if it costs them a little more, rather than passing the burden on to us in the form of toxic, devitalized food devoid of most of its nutritional value. Enough is enough! Thanks for your compliance in this matter.
***I am very opposed to any regulation that requires our food supply be pasteurized or the use of irradiation in any way to treat any food. Clear labeling should be required on all foods especially those which are irradiated or pasteurized. Many people including myself find ourselves wanting to eat only organically grown fresh raw and only untreated foods. Any requirements to limit the supply of this type of food is unacceptable.
***Never alter fresh vegetables by irradiation. Penalize the firms that fail to provide safe food, not the whole industry!
***Regarding this document: Docket ID AMS-FV-07-0090 Docket Title Food Safety Regulations for Leafy Greens Under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 (AMAA) Document ID AMS-FV-07-0090-0001 Document Title Handling Regulations for Leafy Greens Under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 I have this comment: I oppose irradiation of raw vegetables.
***This is another big mistake by industry to another band-aid approach of e-coli contamination. Remember Dan Glickman this was his approach in the 90's to the overwhelming contamination in beef products. It was regulation of the industry that curbed contamination not irradiation. As recalls of two of the largest manufacturers of beef products can attest to last month. Our regulatory bodies of government are failing both citizens and industry in trying to mask over a pathogen that needs to be prevented. It should be the responsibility of the cattle industry to stop the spread of pathogens from stockyard contamination to farm, water sources, and surrounding areas. Why should citizens pay with their lives, and farmers and food service industry with the liability of pathogens derived from cattle operations. So keep on adding the next NEW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY to address these epidemic pathogens in end products, instead of realistically preventing them by further regulation of the meat manufacturers and cattle industry. It would not be an after thought to wonder if all the pathogens used in transgenic agricultural practices could be prevented through real regulatory testing!!!
***I strongly oppose the irradiation and/or pasteurization of raw greens. It is common knowledge that heat destroys important nutrients essential to a healthy body. It is irresponsible for the FDA to consider such a reprehensible and potentially dangerous policy. Citizens have the right to purchase and consume raw fruits and vegetables and it should be left up to us the consumers to decide what we eat. I urge you to vote no on any attempts to irradiate our food supply. My children are counting on you to do the right thing. Thank you for your time, Annette M. Hall Twain Harte, CA
*** I strongly oppose this act which will require irradiation of leafy green vegetables. Food Irradiation chemically alters food products, and induces changes in the chemical composition and can in fact diminish the vitamin and nutrient content, as well as introduce non-food chemicals into the food. Benzene and toulene being among the most common irradiation induced byproducts are well known carcinogen. It is the responsibility of law to protect the health of our citizens, and carcinogens and chemical alteration of food should not be allowed and especially should not be required. Irradiation of food creates carcinogens which is also a violation of the Delaney Clause which does not allow cancer causing substances to be added to the food supply. Here is a link to a recent study of irradiated fatty acids and the byproducts which are created in this process: http://www.ans.iastate.edu/report/air/2004pdf/AS1859.pdf Please put the health and safety of our citizens first and oppose this act, green leafy vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk of various cancers, introducing irradiation would contaminate and ruin one of our most nutritious and important food substances.
***I am opposed to any type of pasteurization or irradiation of fresh and raw vegetables, almonds, and seeds. The problems (bacteria) you are finding are due to cow manure run off from holding pens for fattening of cattle. That is where your regulations should be focused. You are attempting to devalue the food we eat with your new laws. This will increase the health problems in this country and will only benefit the drug companies.
***"Pasteurization" of greens and leafy greens MUST NOT BE ALLOWED. This process effectively kills all living enzymes and nutrients. Irradiated produce is not helpful and more likely harmful to living beings. We the people deserve to have unadulterated food and produce. NO NO NO to irradiation and pasteurization. Period.
***The irradiation (pasteurization) of raw leafy greens is absurd. Governmental polices are ruining nutrition in its most sacred nature - raw. I don't want to eat food contaminated by USDA policies.
***Sir, I am a private citizen, a war-era veteran who was in combat status for 3 years. I have studied human health, and especially the dramatic link between human health and diet. I believe it would be profoundly wrong to mandate irradiation or cooking of the leafy green vegetables that are for most Americans the only life-sustaining food they eat. Our country's health is the most deplorable of so-called 'developed' nations. According to the 1992 US Health Abstract published by the US Dept. of Health, only 1.5% of Americans are healthy. Depriving them of the benefits of the most nutritionally dense food commonly available would be a crime. Would you please read the comments of my friend Keith Little who has investigated the farm sanitation issue. He also is convinced this would be a disaster Regards, Mark S Blackburn, MBA Combat Veteran (USA) www.markblackburn.org Dear USDA, I'm writing in response the proposed rule change for the handling of leafy green vegetables, Docket ID: AMS-FV-07-0090. I oppose this rule change in the strongest manner. Growers, shippers and handlers of leafy green vegetables are admittedly in an unenviable position. Their farm products are expected to be free of disease, wholesome, and nutritious. Unfortunately, their farmlands are also subject to runoff and contamination from feed lot stock (or their waste material), which has been the source of recent contamination problems. AMS-FV-07-0090, might make leafy greens free from disease, but will also critically damage their nutrition and wholesome qualities. This is unacceptable. The rule change should instead prohibit the use of animal manure, feed lot waste (or the resulting runoff), without first being properly composted (with the pathogens in question rendered harmless). Leafy greens vegetables are an important food source, and the potential for contamination should be taken care of by proper farming practices, not improper processing. Perhaps all leafy green vegetables should only be grown according to USDA organic standards. That would take care of the potential for contamination, and insure that leafy green vegetables continue to be wholesome and nutritious source of food for people in this country. Sincerely, Keith Little
***Irradiation destroys vitamin content of vegetables and may cause other problems yet unknown when irradiated foods are ingested as irradiation permanently alters the nature of that food. Bleaching adds chlorine, a known carcinogen, to your food--rinsing it off does not solve the problem as vegetables are porous and absorb whatever is applied to them / sprayed on them, including the chlorine. Most outbreaks of e-coli (etc.) have been related to poor farming practices--eg. using sewage as fertilizer or letting sewage from nearby sources leach into crops--or poor sanitary conditions, such as workers not washing hands--so it makes more sense to solve problems at the source rather than destroy the food supply
***I'm opposed to this rule. Its a completely disregards public safety. "Pasteurization" is irradiation which further compromises the vital nutrients needed in our food.
***Please eliminate all attempts to "pasteurize" fresh, raw vegetables - especially organic produce, and particularly leafy greens. Certainly NO IRRADIATION should ever be applied to any food. If someone wants to pasteurize their own food, they are welcome to do so at home. Thank you. Sincerely, Beth Richman
*** Requiring Irradiative Pasteurization (whether consumer-labeled or not) of food products under AMS-FV-07-0090 would destroy food value and introduce irradiation by-product components into the food.
Radiation not only introduces the danger of radiolytic products, but has been shown repeatedly to alter the structure of proteins and lipids in all food products. This is why radiation "works" as a pasteurization method: It Kills Things.