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Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation in order to disinfest, sterilize, or preserve food. It is, like most technology involving ionizing radiation, the subject of some controversy regarding its safety. Irradiation is used on other things as well, such as medical hardware. Largely to avoid consumer fear of the term "radiation", it is often called cold pasteurization or electronic pasteurization to emphasize its similarity to the process of pasteurization.
Food irradiation
The radura logo, used to show a food has been treated with radiation By irradiating food, depending on the dose, some or all of the microbes and insects present are killed. This greatly prolongs the life of the food, but can have the disadvantage of killing beneficial microbes. Some foods (e.g., herbs and spices) are irradiated at such high doses (5 kilograys or more) that they are partially sterilized. It has also been claimed that irradiation can delay the ripening of fruits and vegetables and replace the need for pesticides.
The United Nations Environmental Program passed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer banning amongst other substances all non-critical uses of methyl bromide, the most common fumigant for post-harvest quarantine treatment of fruit. Although in theory still permitted for quarantine applications, prices of the fumigant have increased dramatically as a consequence. Irradiation is largely recognized by the international community as a legitimate replacement for such fumigants and in consequence many large agricultural nations of the world are currently building irradiation facilities for fresh fruit.
At present, the effects of food irradiation are still not fully understood. Irradiation forms new chemicals in food, some of which are uniquely radiolytic products. In pure or concentrated form, these compounds can be carcinogenic (cause cancer) and teratogenic (cause birth defects). However, the levels of these compounds produced in irradiated foods are deemed too low to present a meaningful risk to consumers. At very high doses, e.g. >6 kilogray, irradiation can reduce the vitamins and other essential nutrients; and negatively impact the flavor, odor and texture of food. At the doses typically used in irradiation treatment of food, e.g. <3.5 kilogray, these changes appear minimal. Independent scientific research on the subject has been extensive. Another current unknown is the potential interaction of food and its packaging, as there is no significant research into the effects of irradiation on food packaging materials, like plastics. In any case, food irradiation is endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture and the U.N. World Health Organization as a safe, effective process for the production of wholesome food.
Concerns have been expressed by activist groups that irradiation, by killing all bacteria in food, can serve to disguise poor food-handling procedures that could lead to other kinds of contamination. However, processors of irradiated food are subject to all existing regulations, inspections and potential penalties regarding plant safety and sanitization, including fines, recalls and criminal prosecutions.
Others are concerned with the use of radiation, and use of nuclear byproducts, the safety of irradiation plants and accidents that have occurred previously. The use of electron beam and X-ray irradiators, which are non-nuclear, have addressed these concerns.
Labeling
Labeling laws differ from country to country. Irradiated foods may be labeled with a number of euphemistic terms used not to alarm consumers by such as cold pasteurization and electronically pasteurised.
Economics
Widespread food irradiation is credited for some economic benefits. Some foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, are naturally restricted from sale on the global market, unless they are irradiated to prolong quality for transportation. Many countries have bans on importation of foods that may be irradiated.
In the U.S., there is debate encompassing both the scientific community, and government watch groups like Public Citizen, questioning both the pros and cons of the procedure. Proponents believe that food irradiation results in perfectly wholesome products. They point to many national and international bodies and organizations that endorse food irradiation, mainly due to its overwhelming benefits compared to alternatives available.
Alternatives
There are many alternative methods of food preservation, however none can be so uniformly applied to such a wide range of foods.
See also
External links
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