# How dangerous are sprouting potatoes?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-sprouting-potatoes/1012144>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 25, 2024, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-sprouting-potatoes/1012144 "2024-12-25T05:01:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-sprouting-potatoes/1012144/41 "2025-01-06T17:58:16Z")

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I was not aware of that. Googling, the FDA requires that “irradiated foods include labeling with either the statement ‘treated with radiation’ or ‘treated by irradiation,’ along with the Radura.” I’ll have to look for that when I’m at the supermarket.

[![](https://www.fda.gov/files/Food-Irradiation--Logo.png) ](https://www.fda.gov/files/Food-Irradiation--Logo.png)

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**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-sprouting-potatoes/1012144/42 "2025-01-06T18:09:50Z")

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Meat, fruit, herbs, spices, and flour are some of the commonly irradiated foods besides potatoes. It was developed in order to find a use for waste from the nuclear power industry, as I recall.

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**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-sprouting-potatoes/1012144/43 "2025-01-06T18:30:43Z")

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> [@Ulfreida](#):
>
> It was developed in order to find a use for waste from the nuclear power industry, as I recall.

That appears to be the case:  
[Irradiation of Food – A Solution for the Nuclear Waste Problem](https://www.symecengineers.com/irradiation-of-food-a-solution-for-the-nuclear-waste-problem/)

_[Food irradiation](https://www.symecengineers.com/food-irradiation/) is the process of exposing food and food packaging to ionizing radiation. The radioactive waste which is released from nuclear power plants is used to irradiate materials, including food._

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-sprouting-potatoes/1012144/44 "2025-01-06T18:36:26Z")

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Well, if that’s the case, my bag of Green Giant Klondike Goldust yellow potatoes has neither any verbiage about it being organic, nor about being treated with radiation. Nor the Radura.

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