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| New laser labels. Photo: ARS/USDA. |
The FDA is expected to approve laser-etching of fruits and vegetables in the next month or so, paving the way for produce "tattooed" with product information to hit store shelves, an official with the USDA tells Slashfood.
"We figure maybe next month or the month after it will get FDA approval," says Jan Narciso, a research microbiologist with the USDA's Citrus and Subtropical Products Laboratory in Winter Haven, Fla.
But will these new labels affect the taste of your fruits and vegetables?
"Not at all," Narciso says. The laser beam penetrates the outer layer of the fruit or vegetable's cells, exposing a bit of the pith. "What this does is just penetrates the few cells of that colored layer and exposes the underlying layer. So it doesn't go anywhere near the part of the fruit that you eat. It's just on the peel."
To make sure the technology was safe, Narciso's lab tested it on foods painted with pathogens and disease organisms to see if they would infect fruit that had been labeled with lasers; they didn't. The laser "zaps the tissue, and it makes kind of like a callus, so that nothing gets through there," she says. "It's really very, very clean, and you can eat it."
The technology was invented by Greg Drouillard, the director of research technology for laser development for Sunkist Growers Inc., in Sherman Oaks, Calif., according to the Packer, a trade publication for the packing industry. Time called it one of the best inventions of 2005.
"It can print anything," Drouillard tells the Packer. "The criteria of what determines what you're printing are how fast the product is moving on the packing line and how big the product is. How much of the tomato do you want to cover with information?"
Narciso says their tests of the technology shows that it can print on just about any fruit and vegetable.
"We determined you can use them on just about anything except leafy greens, which we don't stick labels on anyway," she says.
The new labels could hit shelves as early as late autumn.
What do you think of the new labels? Let us know in the comments below.
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| Not sure. | |
| No way! |
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9-11-2009 @4:19PM Elle said... This is absurd and unnecessary. I'm all about being progressive when need be but why change something that is working fine? What is the purpose of this? Nothing that I can think of....If it's supposed to lower costs or something, I mean, I could be wrong but I feel like lasers are probably more expensive than stickers.
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9-11-2009 @4:30PM Lisa said... This is paving the way until the day that a number will be put, not detected by the human eye, on the hands or head or the citizens of the world in accordance with the Word of God. The Bible states that, without receiving the number (this is when an evil man is controlling the world - the antichrist), you will not be able to buy or sell. Anything. Food. A vehicle. A home. It's coming. Don't mark my words, mark the Word inspired by the Spirit of God.
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9-12-2009 @2:02PM carol moragas said... What a blessing God has given us - His materials and mediums to produce new and better technology. And, I look forward to the day when I don't have to peel off the labels from the fruit with the skin coming off each time I did this. And, YES, I will eat the fruit with laser labeling.
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9-11-2009 @4:40PM Nancy said... The million dollar questions is WHY do this. What is the necessity of this rediculousness and who needs to know exactly where a product originated from. What a waste of money. Monies would be better spent on reforming the rampant use/overuse of pesticides, herbicides and GMO products!
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9-11-2009 @4:45PM Julie said... You know they won't stop with just the type of food and a code. They'll be turning produce into mini billboards in no time! Just what we need another place can they put an advertisement. No Thanks
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9-11-2009 @4:47PM W. Graves said... i did an art project laser etching fruits and veggies, doesn't harm the taste at all, and it looks much better than a sticker or stamp. (yes i ate my art project :P)
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9-11-2009 @4:53PM Jerry Hightower said... Just think, the lettering on M&M's is probably made of lead. Just kidding. Don't panic over the printing on fruits and veggies. It will actually help you and the cashier at the checkout. They didn't just do this yesterday. It was one of the inventions of the year in 2005. They've tested and developed their processes....NOW EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!!
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9-12-2009 @8:15AM Jean Hooe said... Lasers will blind you if you look into the beam. I don't know, I think it's a trick. A government trick.
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9-11-2009 @4:57PM Edgar Dodd said... They're marking food now but it won't be long before they mark people.
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9-11-2009 @5:00PM Rhonda said... This is absolutely unnecessary and unknown safety issues lurk here. My mother taught me to scrub my fruits and veggies in anti bacteria soap instead of just washing with water because it gets more of the pesticides off. We are a nation of unhealthy - healthy fruits and veggies. Now we are sending lasers INTO our food. I don't care what they say. lasering a food doesn't make sense except for the bottom line if it's cheaper than a label. What happened to the good old fashioned way of the cashier looking at the product, checking the price on a sheet of paper and typing in the price? Scanners everywhere. It's ridiculas!
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9-11-2009 @5:01PM Jen said... Good point! And, what if this laser treatment destroys some of the nutrients? It may not do much damage, but probably does some.
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9-11-2009 @5:03PM dianna said... another reason to buy from your local farmer
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9-11-2009 @5:16PM Babs said... Who the heck peels every tomato,potato and pepper they eat. I just ate 2 tomatos skin and all a few minutes ago. (from my garden) no need for labels on those beauties! I dont think it will be harmful to label with lazers so why the need to make crap up about it? It seems that is the only way our government agencies communicate these days.
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9-11-2009 @7:49PM firefly said... I'm not quite sure how people can think that this new application of technology signifies the end of the world or anything even remotely like that. Laser imprinting food can hardly be worse than using a microwave, which almost every does sometimes and some do on a daily basis. Labeling them with numbers is not new, and this is just a little burn on the outside of the food. Lasers have been around forever - people trust them on their eyes and some of you are freaked out about it on your vegetable peels? It's probably better for the environment because we won't need the produce stickers anymore - no more adhesive on the outside of your food, no more plastic coating on the sticker so it can get wet... I think this is cool and very green. Reusing the same laser machine to make the labels is almost like using the same reusable bag to carry your groceries. ...and I'm sure the organic produce companies will check it out for themselves and make sure it meets their very strict guidelines before they allow it.
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9-11-2009 @5:28PM Brook said... i think most technological advancement is a good thing. but tattooing our food? that's extremely ridiculous. food is supposed to be natural, from the earth. it shouldn't be tampered with. i know it's just a laser etching onto the surface, but if you can READ your fruits and vegetables..? it just seems so UNnatural. it's not a big deal, i guess, but i think the stickers work out fine. and then what happens to the companies who make those little fruit stickers? no more business for them, loss of jobs, etc. that's just another job done by humans to be replaced by machines.. sad. i'd still eat fruis and veggies, but i don't see the point. there are SO many more obvious problems to tackle in our society than laseretching on things that are going to be eaten anyway.
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9-11-2009 @5:30PM Andi said... You eat orange peel?
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9-11-2009 @5:32PM Dan said... Why do we need labels on our fruit and veggies ? Is this another ploy to jack up the prices ?
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9-11-2009 @5:35PM MebeDazed said... Why do they have to label veggies. Don't people know what they are? Are we that stupid?
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9-11-2009 @5:39PM Barbara Greene said... I eat the peels. And breaking the peel will make any produce go bad faster. The peel is there to protect the insides. Really really bad idea.
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9-11-2009 @5:48PM mike said... It never ceases to amaze me how much BS can be generated over the slightest thing. WTF, people? Get a grip, take your meds, and chill!
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