Radiation preservation of foods in United States

In depth food radiation studies in the United States began in the early 1950s, when both radiation sources and processing requirement were developed to practical point.

Most of the studies have been government sponsored at least partly because the 1958 Food Additive Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act required advance proposal from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before any particular irradiated food could be publicly sold.

Earlier work (1947-1952) was carried out by at least three private companies in the United States.

A similar circumstance prevailed in other countries, resulting, worldwide, in predominantly government sponsored food irradiation research programs.

Because of the lack of research facilities in many third world countries, specialized agencies of the United States also became actively involved in international food irradiation research programs.
Radiation preservation of foods in United States

Irradiation of food

After World War II, the US army began experiments irradiating fresh foods for troop in the field. The impetus for the research came largely from intensive investigations of nuclear energy, which led to developments in the economic production of radioactive isotopes and to evolution of high energy accelerators.

All irradiation is energy moving through space in invisible waves. It can either be naturally occurring or produced by man-made objects.

Food irradiation is a physical treatment akin to conventional processes like heating or freezing, in which food is exposed to a defined dose of ionizing radiation. Food irradiation exposes foods to a very high energy, short length invisible waves.

Irradiation of food can control insect infestation, reduce the numbers of pathogenic or spoilage microorganisms and delay or eliminate natural biological processes such as ripening, germination or sprouting in fresh food.

Irradiation can also be used as a phytosanitary treatment where it is applied at low dosage or safeguard natural resource by replacing fumigation or other chemical treatments to eliminate particular plant pests from fruits and vegetables.

There are several forms of radiant energy emitted from different sources. These belong to the electromagnetic spectrum of radiations and differ in wavelength, frequency, penetrating power and the effects they have on biological system.
Irradiation of food

What is food irradiation?

Food irradiation has generally come to describe the use of ionizing radiation, an energetic charged particles such as electrons and alpha particles, or energetic photons such as gamma rays and x-rays to decrease the population of, or prevent the growth of, undesirable biological organism in food in a controlled manner.

Food irradiation is unique because the ionizing radiation is penetrating and transfer energy without a significant rise in temperature, thus it its termed a ‘cold process.’

Exposing food to radiation energy disrupts the organic processes essential to life and the reproduction of organisms.

It will destroy pests and pathogens on food and agricultural products. It also used to delay the ripening and extend shelf-life of fruits and inhibit the sprouting of certain vegetables such as potato. .

During the irradiation process, energy waves from gamma rays, electrons, or X-rays break molecular bonds inside the genetic materials of pathogens, spoilage organism and insects, such cause them to die or prevents them from replicating.

Food irradiation has become established as a better alternative for food preservation. It eliminates the use of harmful chemicals for treatments.

There is no other food processing technology that has been so extensively researched as food irradiation.
What is food irradiation?