List of the Disadvantages of Food Irradiation

Research also shows that irradiation forms volatile toxic chemicals such as benzene and toluene, chemicals known, or suspected, to cause cancer and birth defects. Irradiation also causes stunted growth in lab animals fed irradiated foods.

Food irradiation reduces or removes pathogens, such as bacteria and molds, that spoil food and cause food poisoning and other illness. For example, irradiation can kill Escherichia coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella bacteria.

• We cannot irradiate some food products.
• It can change the nutritional profile of some foods.
• Minimal labeling requirements exist for food irradiation.
• There can be resistant strains of bacteria to the irradiation process.
• The cost of food irradiation is an issue to consider.

Irradiation damages the quality of food. creating free radicals. The free radicals bounce around in the food, damage vitamins and enzymes, and combine with existing chemicals (like pesticides) in the food to form new chemicals, called unique radiolytic products (URPs).

Can organic foods be irradiated? Happily, no. Just as opting for an ‘organic’ label means the food cannot be genetically modified, foods labeled ‘organic’ cannot be irradiated. Foods which have been irradiated, no matter how they are grown or produced, cannot be labeled as USDA certified organic.

Effects of irradiation on food Some foods, such as dairy foods and eggs, cannot be irradiated because it causes changes in flavour or texture. Fruits, vegetables, grain foods, spices and meats (such as chicken) can be irradiated.

List of Pros of Food Irradiation

• Enhances Food Safety.
• Extend the Shelf Life of Consumer Foods.
• No Chemical Residue.
• Minor Nutrient Loss.
• Properly Labeled.
• Does Not Guarantee Total Food Safety.
• Negative Effect on Animals.
• Costly Environmental Contamination.

Irradiation does not make foods radioactive, compromise nutritional quality, or noticeably change the taste, texture, or appearance of food. In fact, any changes made by irradiation are so minimal that it is not easy to tell if a food has been irradiated.

Advantages and disadvantages of irradiation

• it may not kill all bacteria on an object.
• it can be very harmful – standing in the environment where objects are being treated by irradiation could expose people’s cells to damage and mutation.

A number of different radiation sources, such as gamma-rays and X-rays, have been used to pasteurize intact eggs. However, the high radiation dose needed to kill Salmonella and other bacteria leads to two side effects – a deterioration in the physical structure of the egg white, and a revolting smell.

When ionizing radiation passes through a food product, some energy is absorbed by some chemical bonds. Food irradiation extends the shelf life of irradiated foods by effectively destroying organisms responsible for spoilage and foodborne illness and inhibiting sprouting.

Ionizing radiation can extend shelf life and improve the quality and safety of foods. National and international organizations and regulatory agencies have concluded that irradiated food is safe and wholesome.

But radiation isn’t commonly used to treat most foodstuffs in the U.S. because of cost, consumer wariness and the worries of some about its long-term safety.

gamma rays

The blue glow is given off by the water when charged particles, such as electrons, are emitted from the radioactive material at very high speeds. The water slows the charged particles down by absorbing some of their energy and the water then gives off this energy in the form of light.

The Food Additives Amendment to the FD&C Act, passed in 1958, requires FDA approval for the use of an additive prior to its inclusion in food. It also requires the manufacturer to prove an additive’s safety for the ways it will be used.

Gamma irradiation is a physical/chemical means of sterilization, because it kills bacteria by breaking down bacterial DNA, inhibiting bacterial division. Energy of gamma rays passes through the equipment, disrupting the pathogens that cause contamination.

Gamma rays

Irradiation versus contamination Occurs when an object is exposed to a source of radiation outside the object. Occurs if the radioactive source is on or in the object. Doesn’t cause the object to become radioactive. A contaminated object will be radioactive for as long as the source is on or in it.

In an effort to kill the ominous parasite that can lead to trichinosis — without the high cooking temperatures — the Food and Drug Administration approved on Monday the use of irradiation for cut or whole fresh pork carcasses. …

Bananas have naturally high-levels of potassium and a small fraction of all potassium is radioactive. Each banana can emit . 01 millirem (0.1 microsieverts) of radiation. This is a very small amount of radiation.

Exposing objects to beams of radiation is called irradiation . Irradiation from radioactive decay can damage living cells. This can be put to good use as well as being a hazard.