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Summary: Using water or chlorine sanitizers may not be as effective as you think. In a study they found water wasn’t effective for getting rid of the levels of pathogens and chlorine sanitizers had a less than 90% reduction of E. coli. Studies have also found types of microbes can play “hide and seek” with sanitizers and hide in the leaves. They also found there microbes can come together and form a “bio-film.” This helps protect the bacteria, this is a perfect place for E. coli and salmonella to stay. Their solution to this is irradiation. What is does is “inactivates parasites and destroys pathogens and insects.

Importance: I think irradiation sounds like a good idea but I would have to research more on what it is and the cons to it. I wonder if fruits and vegetables are going to cost more if a vegetable goes through the process of irradiation versus just washing. This relates to biology because it’s talking about bacteria and it also is showing how the bacteria adapted to washing plants.


http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2008/04/11/dr_mom_was_right_and_wrong_about_washing_fruits_and_vegetables.html