Food Irradiation

Valente B. Alvarez
Food Industries Center
Department of Food Science and Technology

V.B. Alvarez/Food Irradiation/10/2007

Food Irradiation

Contents
 Irradiation Process
 Types of Radiation
 Food Applications
 Advantages and
Disadvantages
 Product Applications

V.B. Alvarez/Food Irradiation/10/2007

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 Irradiation

A process that uses Gamma

or X rays to penetrate into
foods and eliminate bacteria

Irradiation is an approved
methods to be used in flour,
fruits, vegetables, herbs,
spices, raw meat and
chicken

V.B. Alvarez/Food Irradiation/10/2007

Irradiation

The only commercial application is for herbs,

and spices. Generally, these products have
high counts of spore bacteria and molds.
Irradiation sterilizes herbs and spices.

The use of food irradiation is legal but it is not a
common practiced.

There were attempts to introduce irradiated
foods into the market in the 90’s but they were
not successful.

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 Irradiation Process

Sources of irradiation: x-rays, gamma rays or

electron beams

Process steps:

Pre-packaged food sent through a shielded room on a
conveyor belt.

Exposed to irradiation source for the amount of time
required.

Processed food sent for distribution.

V.B. Alvarez/Food Irradiation/10/2007

Gamma Radiation

Most widely used

Produced from Cobalt-60 (radioactive
isotope)
 energy comes from decay of radioactive
isotopes (Cobalt-
(Cobalt-60 and Cesium-
Cesium-137);
 half life=25 years

High energy, short wavelength, deep

penetration,

Cannot be turned on or off

Chances of radiation exposure

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 Electron Beams

Lower energy, longer wavelength, shallow

penetration

Stream of high-energy electrons
accelerated at near the speed of light
electrons are showered on the product

Coherent, directional beam of high energy
electrons

Lacks the penetration of gamma rays

Advantage : shorter exposure time

V.B. Alvarez/Food Irradiation/10/2007

X-rays
 Energy comes from electrical source that
produces a beam of accelerated
electrons that collide with metallic target
 Less penetrating than gamma or electron
beams
 Ideal for whole chickens and turkeys

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 Advantages

 Little or no heating of the food (nonthermal)

 Packaged and frozen foods may be treated

 No chemical preservatives

 Low energy requirements

V.B. Alvarez/Food Irradiation/10/2007

Disadvantages

High capital cost

Social stigma of irradiated products

Possible development of microbial
resistance to radiation

Toxin producing bacteria could be
destroyed after they have contaminated the
food with toxins

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 Labeling of Irradiated Food

Classified as food additive

Radura - International symbol
for irradiated food (1986)

FDA requires labeling of
irradiated food products since
1966 (Irradiated ingredients
are exempt)

“Treated with irradiation”

Biggest hurdle consumer acceptance

V.B. Alvarez/Food Irradiation/10/2007

Benefit Dose (kGy) Products

Low-dose (up to 1 kGy)

Inhibition of sprouting 0.05 – 0.15 Potatoes, onions, garlic, root ginger, yam,
etc.
Insect disinfestation and 0.15 – 0.5 Fresh and dried fruits, dried fish and meat,
parasite disinfection fresh pork, etc.
Delay of physiological 0.25 –1.0 Fresh fruits and vegetables
processes (e.g. ripening)

Medium-dose (1 – 10 kGy )
Extension of shelf-life
Elimination of spoilage and
pathogenic microorganisms
Improving technological
properties of food
1.0 – 3.0 Fresh fish, strawberries, mushrooms, etc.
1.0 – 7.0 Fresh and frozen seafood, raw or frozen
poultry and meat, etc.
2.0 – 7.0 Grapes (increasing juice yield),
dehydrated vegetables (reduced cooking
time), etc.

High-dose (10 – 50 kGy)

Industrial sterilization (in 30 – 50 Meat, poultry, seafood, prepared foods,
combination with mild heat) sterilized hospital diets
Decontamination of certain 10 - 50 Spices, enzyme preparations, natural gum,
food additives and ingredients etc.

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 Effect of Ionizing Radiation

Irradiation can directly impair critical cell
functions or components (DNA)

Single strand breaks (repairable in most cases)

Double strand breaks (not repairable in most
cases)

Causes disruption of internal metabolism of
cells

DNA cleavage

Formation of free radicals

Disrupts chemical bonds

V.B. Alvarez/Food Irradiation/10/2007

Irradiated Food Around the World

China: apples

Mexico: rice

Thailand: raw pork sausages

Canada: wheat

France: frog legs

India seafood, fruits, onion etc
and 40 other countries

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 Approximate Doses of Radiation
Needed to Kill Various Organisms
Organisms Dose (kGy)
Higher animals 0.005 to 0.10
Insects 0.01 to 1
Non-spore forming 0.5 to 10
bacteria
Bacterial spores 10 to 50
Viruses 10 to 200

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Factors Affecting Irradiation Effectiveness

Against Microorganisms in Foods

Growth phase of microorganism

Type of food (lean vs fat)

Moisture content (water level)

Temperature of food (frozen vs heated)

Presence of oxygen (aerobic vs
anaerobic)

Packaging

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 Radiation Resistance

Gram negative bacteria < Gram positive

bacteria/molds/yeast < spores and
viruses
 Differences in resistance are due to:
 chemical and physical structure of
microorganism
 ability to recover from radiation injury

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Irradiated Food

Irradiation of food - most extensively

tested food production process.

Slight decreases in some nutrients

after irradiation but much less than
those seen with traditional processing
methods.

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 Food Irradiation

Summary
 Irradiation Process
 Types of Radiation
 Food Applications
 Advantages and
Disadvantages
 Product Applications

V.B. Alvarez/Food Irradiation/10/2007

References

Ahmad, J.I. 1995. Food irradiation – facts and

fiction. Nutrition & Food Sci. 3, 29-31.

Farkas, J. 1998. Irradiation as a method for
decontaminating food – A review. Int. J. Food
Microbiol. 44, 189-204.

Smith, J.S. and Pillai, S. 2004. Irradiation and
food safety. Food Technology. 58(11), 48-55.

Thayer, D.W. 2003. Ionizing radiation,
Treatment of food. Encyclopedia of
Agricultural, Food, and Biological Eng.
(Heldman, D.R. ed.) Marcel Dekker, Inc., 536-
539.
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