"Spinach and Peanuts, With a Dash of Radiation," Andrew Martin, February 1, 2009. New York Times.

"...After spinach tainted with a strain of E. coli killed three people and sickened more than 200 others in 2006, the Food and Drug Administration gave permission for irradiation of spinach and iceberg lettuce. It has yet to begin. Meat irradiation is permitted but rarely used. Among common items on the grocery shelf, only spices and some imported products, like mangoes from India, are routinely treated with radiation....

But irradiation has not been widely embraced in this country.

Food manufacturers worry that the apparent benefits do not justify the cost or the potential consumer backlash. Some consumer groups complain that widespread irradiation of food after processing would simply cover up the food industry’s hygiene problems. And some advocacy groups question the long-term safety of irradiation..."