Advantages and desadvantages of food irradiation

Abstract

Irradiation is a food processing method that enhances an already safe food supply. It extends the shelf life of food, helping, to retain its quality and safety longer. Food to be irradiated is carried on a conveyor belt into a metal-plated room and is exposed to a high dose of X-rays, gamma radiation or high-energy electrons. Irradiation never makes foods radioactive: it does, however, create small chemical changes. These result from radiations striking the atoms in the molecules of the food, causing them to lose electrons and form ions or free radicals that can react with one another and other food constituents.