MICROBIOLOGY OF IRRADIATED

FOODS

What is Food Irradiation?

Food irradiation is a process in which food

products are exposed to a controlled amount

of radiant energy to increase the safety of the
food and to extend shelf life of the food.
Exposure of foods to ionizing radiation in form of

gamma radiation, X-rays and electron beams to

destroy pathogenic microorganisms.
Like pasteurization of milk and pressure

cooking of canned foods, treating food with

ionizing radiation can kill bacteria and
parasites that would otherwise cause
foodborne disease.

Microbes
Food can become contaminated by microbes. Microbes include
Bacteria: consist of only one cell (single-celled), have a cell
wall, have no nucleus or mitochondria.
Salmonella bacteria
(causes food poisoning)

Protists: very diverse group. Have a nucleus, can be either single or

multi-celled. Some have cell walls, others have cell membranes.
Plasmodium (causes malaria)

Fungi, mold & yeast: Have a nucleus. Either single or multicelled. Dont make own food, must land on their food source
or starve.
Mold that caused Potato Famine (1845) in Ireland

Measurements of
Radiation
One gray(Gy) is the absorption of one joule of

radiation energy by one kilogram of matter

1 Gy = 1 J/kg
Gray (Gy) = 100 rads (radiation absorbed
dose)
Kilogray (kGy) = 1000 Gy

Why Irradiate?
Low Dose (<1 kGy)
Control insects
Inhibit maturation
Inhibit sprouting

Medium Dose (1-10 kGy)

Extend shelf life
Reduce microorganism level

High Dose (> 30 kGy)

Sterilize - analogous to canning
Decontaminate certain food additives, e.g.,

spices

Foods Permitted to Be Irradiated

Under FDAs Regulations
All foods
Arthropod Control
1 kGy max
Fresh Foods
Maturation Inhibition 1 kGy max
Spices/Seasonings
Microbial Control
30 kGy max
Poultry
Microbial Control
3 kGy max
Seeds for sprouting
Microbial Control
8 kGy max
Shell eggs
Microbial Control
3 kGy max
Meat and meat byproducts Microbial Control
4 kGy/7 kGy
Molluscan shellfish
Microbial Control
5.5 kGy max
Fresh lettuce and spinach Microbial Control
4 kGy max

What irradiation can

eliminate?
E. Coli
Salmonella
Campylobacter
Toxoplasma organisms
Listeria
Shigella

Approximate doses of radiation

needed to kill various organisms
Organisms
Higher animals

Dose (kGy)
0.005 to 0.1

Insects

0.01 to 1

Non-spore forming bacteria

0.5 to 10

Bacterial spores

10 to 50

Viruses

10 to 200

Typical irradiation
D-values of pathogens
kGy
Organism

Fresh (refrigerated)

Frozen

Camplobacter jejuni

0.08 0.20

0.21 0.32

E. Coli O157:H7

0.24 0.27

0.31 0.44

Staphlococcus aureus

0.26 0.60

0.30 0.45

Salmonella spp.

0.30 0.80

0.40 1.30

Listeria monocytogenes

0.27 1.00

0.52 1.30

D-value is equivalent to radiation dose required

to reduce a bacterial population 90%

Typical irradiation
D-values of pathogens
kGy
Organism

Fresh (refrigerated)

Clostridium botulinum
spores
Toxoplasma

1.00 3.60

Trichinella spiralis

0.30 0.60

0.40 0.70

D-value is equivalent to radiation dose required

to reduce a bacterial population 90%

Effect of irradiation on shelf life of fresh

meats
Spoilage organisms, especially pseudomonas,

are susceptible to low dose irradiation

Spoilage of low dose irradiated meats may be

due to yeast or Moraxella spp. (increased lag

time)

Shelf life extension of fresh meat

Meat product

Dose
(kGy)

Beef

2.5

Untreated
shelf life
(days)
2-3

Irradiated shelf
life (days)

Beef top round

2.0

8-11

28

Beef burgers

1.54

8-10

26-28

Beef cuts

2.0

N/A

70

Corned beef

4.0

14-21

35

Pork loins

41

90

Ground pork

11.5

Lamb (Whole/minced)

2.5

28-35

Meat Irradiation

December 23, 1999 Federal Register

Effective date February 22, 2000
Ionizing radiation approved for use
Cobalt-60, Cesium-137, X-ray machines,
Electron accelerators
Dosage
4.5 kGy if refrigerated
7.0 kGy if frozen

Applications of food irradiation

Effect on micro-organisms
The reactive ions produced by irradiating foods

injure or destroy micro-organisms immediately, by

changing the structure of cell membranes and
affecting metabolic enzyme activity. However, a
more important effect is on deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA) and ribonucleic acid molecules in cell
nuclei, which are required for growth and
replication.

Microbial destruction by irradiation: A, Pseudomonas

sp.; B, Salmonella sp.; C, Bacillus cereus; D,
Deinococcus radiodurans; E, typical virus.

D-values of important pathogens

D10 The radiation dose needed to inactivate 90% of the microbial load
in the food medium

Nutritional and sensory value

Effect of irradiation on water-soluble vitamins in

selected foods

A comparison of vitamin contents of heat sterilized and

irradiated (58 kGy at 25C) chicken meat

Effect on packaging

U.S. Food & Drug Administration Approvals for Irradiated Foods

Food

Approved Use

Maximum Dose

Spices and dry

vegetable seasoning

decontaminates and controls

insects and microorganisms

30 kGy

Dry or dehydrated
enzyme preparations

controls insects and

microorganisms

10 kGy

All foods

controls insects

Fresh foods

delays maturation

Poultry

controls disease-causing
microorganisms

Red meat (such as

beef, lamb and pork)

controls spoilage and diseasecausing microorganisms

1 kGy
1 kGy
3 kGy
4.5 kGy (fresh), 7
kGy (frozen)

Publication No. (FDA) 98-2320. Gy=1 Gray, or 100 rad (radiation absorbed
dose)/kilogram. kGy=1000 Grays.