Food

irradiation
Introduction
 Food irradiation is a treatment that can be given to
certain foods by ionizing radiation; The process
involves exposing food to controlled amounts of that
radioactive to achieve certain objectives.

 It is usually used to prevent the reproduction

of microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi that
cause the deterioration of food, changing its
molecular structure and preventing its proliferation or
some diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria. It
can also reduce the ripening speed or the regrowth
of certain fruits and vegetables without major
alterations in their nutritional or physical properties,
however it can cause the loss of nutrients and
destroy or degrade the DNA of them.
Process description
 The types of radiation used to process food are: gamma
radiation, X-rays and electron beams. These types of
radiation are also called ionizing radiation and are
accepted by international organizations such as FAO, WHO
and the IAEA.

 The radioactive isotopes emitting gamma radiation

normally used for food processing are cobalt-60 (60Co)
and cesium-137 (137Cs).
 The electron accelerators used have a maximum energy of
10 MeV and the X-ray equipment a maximum energy of 5
MeV.
 These levels of energies are too low to induce radioactivity
in materials, or food and do not cause toxic alterations in
their compounds although they produce by-products such
as the molecule 2-DCB only present in irradiated or ionized
foods.
 The process itself consists of introducing the food in
containers and immersing them for 24 minutes in a 6
meter deep pool in which there is a nuclear irradiator: a
radioactive cobalt-60 bar (if you were a few meters
from the bar outside of the pool you would die in
minutes) that shines blue at the bottom of the pool, then
electromagnetic or electric current is applied to the
cobalt-60 bar to radiate it completely. Nuclear radiation
passes through the container and food.
Applications of food irradiation
The irradiation of food offers several benefits to the food
industry as several damages to consumers. From a
practical point of view, the following classifications can be
proposed:
According to the applied dose
The applications of this process can be grouped into three
categories, depending on the doses applied to foods such
as:
 Irradiation at low doses
It is when a dose of up to 1 kGy is applied. It produces
outbreak inhibition, fruit disinfestation and inactivation of
parasites and pests.
 Irradiation at medium doses
It is when a dose of between 1 and 10 kGy is applied. It
produces reduction in the content of harmful
microorganisms and pathogens, reducing the possibility of
illnesses caused by food by bacterial contamination.
 Irradiation at large doses
It is when doses greater than 10 kGy are applied. Get a
reduction in the content of microorganisms until sterility.
goals
The applications of food irradiation, can be classified as:
 Reduction of pathogenic microorganisms
Reduction, (not total elimination), among which we can
mention: Escherichia coli O157: H7, Salmonella,
Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio
spp., Known pathogens and associated with meats, fresh
products, water and the products of the sea.
 Decontamination of spices and herbs
These are frequently contaminated with microorganisms due
to the environmental and processing conditions in which they
are produced, so they require irradiation to reduce their
bacterial count and make them viable for human
consumption. In addition, the irradiation process allows these
products to retain their original flavors and aromas

.
 Extension of shelf life
Applicable to fruits, vegetables, beef, chicken, fish
and seafood. Its shelf life can be extended
considerably with a combined treatment of low-
dose irradiation and refrigeration, without altering its
taste or texture. This effect has also taken relevance
in products with a short life or that must be
transported over long distances.

 Quarantine treatment of fresh fruits and vegetables

Prevents infection by the fruit fly , in areas that are
considered free of these pests and allows
international trade in these products without risk of
their proliferation
 Inhibition of buds in tubers and bulbs
Through the use of irradiation, a constant supply of
these products can be maintained and stored for
several months. This process can be applied to
potatoes, garlic, onions, ginger, among others and
leaves no residue, allowing storage at temperatures
between 10 and 15 ° C.
Example
Irradiation is one of the best emerging technologies to
guarantee the microbiological safety of meat.
 Cow meat:
In aged beef loins treated with electron beam
irradiation increased the values of substances reactive
to thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) but there was a
significant difference between long-term irradiated
and non-irradiated meat.
 Ground beef:
The effect of this irradiated meat on fatty and trans
fatty acids was studied; It was concluded that there
were no significant differences in odor and taste to
the non-irradiated. The results showed that the
irradiation did not have a significant impact on the
qualifications of any of the attributes, neither at zero
nor at six months or more.
Effect of electron beam irradiation on TBARS
values of ground beef and beef patties.
Effect of different doses of irradiation on the ph of
the hen and meat burgers.
Risks of food ionization

 The irradiation of food can cause the loss of

nutrients, for example, vitamin E levels can be
reduced by 25% after irradiation and vitamin C by
5-10%. what can cause that finally the food
consumed contains little more than "useless
calories". This in the short and long term is
potentially harmful to the health of consumers.
 Exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation from
food causes the chemical composition and
nutritional content of food to change. Very few of
these chemicals have been adequately studied
for toxicity.
 In addition, a study conducted in Belgium that fed
a group of rats with cancer resulted in irradiated
foods could be carcinogenic: rats fed with
irradiated feed had three times more tumors than
the rest, being irradiated foods carcinogenic for
the rats.

 Irradiation can cause mutations in bacteria and

viruses that produce potentially resistance.
 The irradiation of fruits and vegetables to extend
their shelf life can mislead consumers by making
the "old" fruit seemingly new to the eye, looking
"fresh".
The misuse of this technology

 Food irradiation can and has been used to

mask poor hygiene practices in food
production. With irradiation, contamination
can be sterilized. This reduces the motivation
to sanitize operations and food processing
machines.
 the cleaning of products such as meat,
poultry and eggs at the end of the
production line eliminates the incentive to
improve the quality or welfare of the animals.
 Infringements of legislation that have
occurred in European countries such as
the sale of irradiated food without
labeling.
 the efforts of the industry in the US To
replace the term "radiation" in food labels
with "cold pasteurization" could serve to
confuse and deceive consumers.
Countries where it applies
 Several countries, including Bangladesh, Uruguay, China,
Hungary, Japan, Korea and Thailand, irradiate one or more
foods commercially, such as grain, potatoes, spices, dried
fish, onions, garlic, etc., to control their losses.
 In countries such as Belgium, France and Holland,
considerable quantities of frozen seafood and frog legs, as
well as some dry feed ingredients, are irradiated to control
contamination by bacteria.
 In several countries, including the United States, Argentina,
Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France,
Holland, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Korea,
United Kingdom and South Africa some spices are
irradiated, instead of be fumigated
 In Australia, it is applied to prevent quarantine, but it is
prohibited in cat food due to errors in radiation levels in
2013.
 Currently, the health and radiation protection authorities of
more than 40 countries have approved the irradiation of
around 60 different products.
 The Biologist and former French minister Michèle Rivasi is
working for the European Parliament to expand funds in
research on food ionization.
Regulation

The general Codex Alimentarius standard is based on

the research of an international committee of experts
in food irradiation, which concludes that the irradiation
of any food up to a total average dose of 10 kGy does
not present toxicological risks and does not require any
additional testing, since it does not introduce special
microbiological or nutritional problems .
This dose value of 10 kGy recommended by that
Commission, is equivalent to the heat energy required
to increase the water temperature by 2.4 ° C
Motivation

 Interest in food irradiation has increased due

to global food losses, caused by infection,
pollution and degradation during transport
from production centers to consumption
centers. Also, concern for the diseases that
are produced by food contaminated by
bacteria and the growing international trade
in food products, which must meet very strict
quality and quarantine standards.
 Food irradiation has been shown to offer
benefits when integrated into an established
system of food handling and distribution in a
safe way.
Public perception and impact

 Irradiation has been approved by

the FDA more than 50 years ago, but the most
important area in its use has been the
irradiation of fruits and vegetables for human
consumption.
 The negative perception of consumers about
foods treated with irradiation over other
processes is widespread, although some
industry studies indicate that the number of
consumers concerned about the safety of
irradiated foods has decreased in the last 10
years.
Thank you