|
|
|
|
|
|
Irradiation
is used for meat, poultry and for a variety of seafood, fruits, vegetables
and spices. During irradiation, foods are exposed briefly to a radiant
energy--such as gamma rays or electron beams--within a shielded facility.
Energy waves passing through the food break molecular bonds in the DNA
of bacteria, parasites and insects. These organisms die or are unable
to reproduce, and their numbers are kept low enough so they do not cause
illness. Also irradiating fruits and vegetable inhibits sprouting and
delays ripening. For example, irradiated strawberries stay unspoiled up
to three weeks, versus three to five days for untreated berries.
Although
food irradiation is an extra layer of food safety, it is not a substitute
for safe food handling. Irradiated foods still need to be stored, handled
and cooked in the same way as unirradiated foods, because food could still
become contaminated with germs after irradiation. The safety of irradiated foods has been studied by feeding them to animals and to people. Food has been safely irradiated in the US for more than three decades. Shortly after World War II, the US Army began experimenting with irradiating fresh foods for field troops. Some spices sold wholesale in this country are irradiated which eliminates the need for pesticides. American astronauts have eaten irradiated foods in space since the early 1970s. Patients with weakened immune systems are sometimes fed irradiated foods to reduce the chance of life-threatening infections. Some stores have sold irradiated fruits and vegetables since the early 1990s. Test marketing has shown that consumers are quite willing to buy irradiated foods. Typically at least half will buy the irradiated food, if given a choice between irradiated product and the same product which has not been irradiated. This is particularly true if the purpose of the irradiation is clearly indicated. Irradiated products sold have a cost slightly more than their untreated products, about two to three cents per pound for fruits and vegetables and three to five cents a pound for meat and poultry. As irradiated foods become more widespread, their cost is likely to drop.
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
With
the emergence of very toxic strains of harmful bacteria such as E. coli
O157:H7, Campylobacter and Salmonella--all of which can cause serious
illness, especially in children and the elderly--food safety should be
important to all of us. 
Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
Feature Archives