Irradiation

Food Irradiation
Food irradiation is the process of
exposing foodstuffs to a source of energy
capable of stripping electrons from
individual atoms in the targeted material
(ionizing radiation). The radiation can be
emitted by a radioactive substance or
generated electrically.

 This treatment is used to preserve food,

reduce the risk of food borne illness,
prevent the spread of invasive pests, delay
or eliminate sprouting or ripening, increase
juice yield, and improve re-hydration.

 Food irradiation is criticized because

irradiation can initiate chemical changes
that are different than those that occur
when heating food (Unique Radiolytic
Products). Some people worry that there is
the potential of danger from these
substances.

 Irradiation is also used for non-food

applications, such as medical devices,
plastics, tubes for gas pipelines, hoses for
floor heating, shrink-foils for food
packaging, automobile parts, wires and
cables (isolation), tires, and even
gemstones.

Uses
Irradiation is used to reduce pathogens,
increase shelf life, eliminate pests,
increase juice yield, delay sprouting, and
improve re-hydration.
Irradiation is used to as delay the ripening
of fruits and the sprouting of vegetables by
slowing down the enzymatic action in
foods.

Uses
Irradiation is used to reduce the pathogens in foods.
Depending on the dose, some or all of the
microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses present are
destroyed, slowed down, or rendered incapable of
reproduction. This reduces or eliminates the risk of food
borne illnesses. Some foods are irradiated at sufficient
doses to ensure that the product is sterilized and does
not add any spoilage or pathogenic microorganisms into
the final product.

Uses
Insect pests are sterilized using irradiation
at relatively low doses if irradiation. This
stops the spread of foreign invasive
species across national boundaries, and
allows foods to pass quickly through
quarantine and avoid spoilage. Depending
on the dose, some or all of the insects
present are destroyed, or rendered
incapable of reproduction.

Irradiation on food chemistry

Irradiated food does not become
radioactive as the radioactive source is
never in contact with the foodstuffs and
energy of radiation is limited below the
threshold of induction of radioactivity, but it
does reduce the nutritional content and
change the flavor (much like cooking),
produce radiolytic products, and increase
the number of free radicals in the food.

Irradiation on food chemistry

Irradiation causes a multitude of chemical
changes. The scale of these chemical
changes caused by irradiation are not
unique. Cooking, smoking, salting, and
other less novel techniques, cause the
food to be altered so drastically that its
original nature is almost unrecognizable,
and must be called by a different name.

Food quality
Because of the extent of the chemical
reactions, changes to the foods quality
after irradiation are inevitable. The
nutritional content of food, as well as the
sensory qualities (taste, appearance, and
texture) are impacted by irradiation.

Food Quality
The changes in quality and nutrition vary greatly
from food to food.
The changes in the flavor of fatty foods like meats,
nuts and oils are sometimes noticeable, while the
changes in lean products like fruits and vegetables
are less so.
Some studies by the irradiation industry show that
for some properly treated fruits and vegetables
irradiation is seen by consumers to improve the
sensory qualities of the product compared to
untreated fruits and vegetables

Indirect effects/cumulative
impacts
When food is irradiated some nutrition is
lost. Therefore, if the majority of food was
irradiated at high enough levels to
decrease its nutritional content
significantly, there could be an increase in
nutritional deficiencies due to a diet
composed entirely of irradiated foods.

Indirect effects/cumulative
impacts
If irradiation was to become common in
the food handling process there would be
a reduction of the prevalence of foodborne
illness and potentially the eradication of
specific pathogens.

Indirect effects/cumulative
impacts
The ability to remove bacterial
contamination through post-processing by
irradiation may reduce the fear of
mishandling food which could cultivate a
cavalier attitude toward hygiene and result
in contaminants other than bacteria.

Indirect effects/cumulative
impacts
If irradiation becomes a standard process
there are concerns that irradiating food
might create dangerous or radiation
tolerant pathogens. Repeatedly
processing the same product with of
irradiation have been shown to produce
irradiation tolerant bacteria.

Indirect effects/cumulative
impacts
Because of this some are worried that
pathogens will develop resistance to
irradiation the way that strains of bacteria
have developed resistance to antibiotics.
Furthermore, when the irradiation dose is
chosen to target a specific species of
microbe, it is calibrated to doses doses
several times the value required to target
the species.

Indirect effects/cumulative
impacts
This ensures that the process can destroy
all members of a target species making
the process random with respect to
irradiation tolerance for this target species.
Therefore, irradiation does not encourage
the growth of irradiation tolerant bacteria
in the target species.

Treatment
Up to the point where the food is
processed by irradiation, the food is
processed in the same way as all other
food.
To treat the foodstuffs, they are exposed
to a radioactive source, for a set period of
time to achieve a desired dose.

Treatment
Radiation may be emitted by a radioactive
substance, or by X-ray and electron beam
accelerators.
Special precautions are taken to ensure
the food stuffs never come in contact with
the radioactive substances and that the
personnel and the environment are
protected from exposure radiation.

Treatment
Irradiation treatments are typically
classified by dose (high, medium, and
low), but are sometimes classified by the
effects of the treatment (radappertization,
radicidation and radurization)

Treatment
Radappertization is a dose in the range of 20 to
30 kilograys, necessary to sterilize a food
product.
Radurization is a dose of 1 to 10 kilograys, that,
like pasteurization, is useful for targeting specific
pathogens.
Radicidation involves doses of less than 1
kilogray for extending shelf life and inhibiting
sprouting.

Treatment
Food irradiation is sometimes referred to
as "cold pasteurization or "electronic
pasteurization because ionizing the food
does not heat the food to high
temperatures during the process, and the
effect is similar to heat pasteurization.

Process
Typically, when the food is being
irradiated, pallets of food are exposed a
source of radiation for a specific time.
Dosimeters are embedded in the pallet (at
various locations) of food to determine
what dose was achieved.

Process
Most irradiated food is processed by gamma
irradiation.
Special precautions are taken because gamma
rays are continuously emitted by the radioactive
material.
In most designs, to nullify the effects of radiation,
the radioisotope is lowered into a water-filled
storage pool, which absorbs the radiation but
does not become radioactive.

Process
For x-ray, gamma ray and electron
irradiation, shielding is required when the
foodstuffs are being irradiated. This is
done to protect workers and the
environment outside of the chamber from
radiation exposure.
Typically permanent or movable shields
are used.

Process
In some gamma irradiators the radioactive
source is under water at all times, and the
hermetically sealed product is lowered into the
water.
The water acts as the shield in this application.
Because of the lower penetration depth of
electron irradiation, treatment to entire industrial
pallets or totes is not possible.

Sources:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topi
c/488276/radappertization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_irradiatio
n

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