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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #181072
Title: TRENDS IN FOOD IRRADIATION

Author
item Niemira, Brendan
item Fan, Xuetong
item Sommers, Christopher
item ALVAREZ, IGNACIO - VISITING SCIENTIST

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/7/2005
Publication Date: 6/15/2005
Citation: Niemira, B.A., Fan, X., Sommers, C.H., Alvarez, I. 2005. Trends in food irradiation. University of Sao Paulo, June 15, 2005, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Food irradiation is a process which can effectively eliminate pathogenic and spoilage bacteria from a wide range of foods, including meats, eggs, fruits, vegetables and complex ready-to-eat foods. The technical and scientific details of how this technology is applied are well established for some commodities, yet poorly understood for others. This presentation will present an introduction to food irradiation, and discuss the latest research on how ionizing radiation acts to eliminate human pathogens from foods when used singly or in combination with other treatments. The quality of irradiated foods will be examined from a microbiological, chemical and nutritional standpoint, and new concerns over the safety of these foods will be discussed. The changes in sensory quality, shelf-life and storability for irradiated foods will be reviewed for a range of food types. The overall goal is to define the ways in which low-dose irradiation can be used in a “best practices” approach to provide safe, high-quality foods to consumers.