The advantages of using food irradiation

*Food radiation is an alternative to fumigation of food. Irradiation has been demonstrated as an effective alternative to the fumigants. Unlike fumigation, irradiation does not leave any residues in the products.

*A method to ensure hygienic quality of solid food.

*Improve public health

*Increased confidence in irradiated foods.  Food irradiation is particularly effective in controlling foodborne spoilage microorganisms and decontaminates food form pathogenic bacteria, yeast, molds and insects. This decontamination can improve the hygienic quality of the food and prevent potential health hazards and thus improve public health concerns.

*Reduce shrink and minimal food losses. It is significantly reduced ‘in-system’ physical losses or ‘shrink’ experienced whenever a product with improved shelf life improved. Disinfestations and shelf-life extension improvements provided by irradiation can be used to control and minimize the post-harvest losses caused by insect infestation in grain, pulses and fruits. This point is more important for the developing countries where the losses during the post-harvest stage are high.

*Increase energy savings

*Greater international trade

*Reduced government inspection. The government, itself under public pressure to reduce the incidents of foodborne disease will be reluctant to diminish its inspection function unless it is confident that adequate procedures are in place. Irradiation thus has the desirable effect of reducing unwanted and government interference in the operation of manufacturers and processors.
The advantages of using food irradiation

Food Radiation

Food Radiation
The use of radiation for preserving foods has been declared an additive, and whether or not it should be approved by the FDA makes it the prime example of extreme opposition and extreme favor.

Quite often, the tendency to take strong position for the use of an additive might make a proponent overlook or rationalize undesirable investigative facts concerning the additive.

On the other hand, opponents tend to make irrational demands of investigators to prove safety of an additive: for example, opponents to the use of radiation for preserving foods have suggested that radiation should not approved for preserving foods until all possible chemical effects of the process have been identified.

This without going into detail is an impossible task. It would be just as impossible to identify all the chemical effects of frying foods and of baking food.

Given present capabilities, our most reasonable evaluation of an additive for safety can be made through conventional animal feeding studies.

The overall physiological effects that an additive may have on animals of two of three different species over a specific number of generations is the most comprehensive, as well as the most reliable, way to evaluate the safety of a food additive.
Food Radiation