Irradiation of food prevents acute illness by killing potential pathogens. However, it decreases the nutritional value of our food. However, with the slow accumulation of toxins and nutritional deficiencies, there are no lawsuits. With acute illness, the stores and producers can be held liable....so they choose the economically safe route. Its cheaper than testing each crop for bacteria.

Unfortunately, if most of your food comes from a grocery store, your not really eating raw food.

well, actually, i think the master plan is to turn some of us into aggressive, survivalist meatheads, and the rest into complacent, helpless sheep. Both are easy to control under martial law; shoot the aggressive ones, and herd the sheep. Clueless, desperate people seek salvation in any form that satisfies their base urges. McDonald's works for most of them.

I don't know about the apples, Ezekiel.
It would be a very sad truth if even the produce we buy organically at so-called conscious markets was subject to the same denaturing as the shit in mainstream supermarkets. I don't have the facts on this, but as far as i know, the gub'ment is pushing for sterilization of all potential food-borne "pathogens" such as live enzymes.

I am starting my first garden this year. It's a trial run while i still have the alternative of getting fresh produce at the farmer's market. My intention is to go deeper into growing my own food each year, while buying my nuts directly from small farms that promise 100% raw and unadulterated produce.

It's important to try and not react with fear to all the Big Brother oppression that appears to be mounting. I hear people talking all day about the gas prices, the food prices, Walmart is rationing rice because of the "Food Shortage", etc. Although there may be some truth at the heart of these matters, it's the hype and fear-mongering that allow these issues to control our reality. There may come a day when i can't purchase organic, pure, unfumigated pineapples anymore, unless i go to the place where they are grown and pick them myself. So hopefully by the time that day comes, i will have an apple tree in my yard and i'll just eat apples. We have become so spoiled with the availability of exotic produce that we depend upon it. Part of growing my own food is deepening my gratitude for the foods that will grow naturally in my own climate. I began my dietary refinement back in 1988 as a macrobiotic vegan, and the principle of eating locally grown food was the one that i resonated with the most. The part about not eating tomatoes never worked for me though, even though i'm a type A blood and am supposed to avoid nightshades.

I think that the first produce item under attack is the leafy greens. Fortunately, these are easy to grow in most climates, at least half the year. Here in the Pacific NW we can grown kale year-round.