News Coverage
Group says winter lettuce contaminated
But government scientists looking into the matter have not reached any conclusions.
Published April 28, 2003
The lettuce Californians eat in winter might be contaminated by a rocket-fuel ingredient, an Oakland-based environmental group says.
But state and federal scientists who have been studying the matter say they have no firm conclusions yet.
The contaminant, perchlorate, turned up in four out of 22 samples of grocery-store lettuce from the Bay area analyzed by the Environmental Working Group.
The lettuce, probably grown in Imperial County, was collected by the group in January and February. It might also have been grown in Yuma County, Ariz. Both get water from the Colorado River, known to contain perchlorate.
Perchlorate may cause thyroid problems at high enough doses. The level found in the lettuce was believed by the group to be above what is considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But a spokeswoman for the agency says no standard has been developed yet.
Lettuce grown and consumed in California this time of year comes from the Monterey area, where there are no known perchlorate sources, said Bill Walker of the Environmental Working Group.
"We do not want to create a food scare," Walker said. "We're pointing out that the Colorado River is contaminated with perchlorate and irrigates major portions of winter vegetables."
Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration as well as the state Department of Health Services have been studying the matter, but say they do not yet have an approved method for measuring perchlorate in food.
They said they were examining the group's findings.
"Their study was very small," said Jeff Farrar, chief of food safety at the food-and-drug branch of the state Department of Health Services. "The way it was done, the nonrandom, non scientific approach to it, doesn't allow us to make any scientific conclusions."
Brad Stone, a spokesman for the FDA, said his agency should have some conclusions within the next few months.