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The safety and wholesomeness of irradiated foods
Author(s) -
HAWTHORN JOHN
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
nutrition bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1467-3010
pISSN - 1471-9827
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-3010.1989.tb00326.x
Subject(s) - shelf life , food irradiation , food preservation , disadvantage , food processing , food science , food safety , environmental science , business , risk analysis (engineering) , biochemical engineering , irradiation , chemistry , computer science , engineering , physics , artificial intelligence , nuclear physics
Summary The current interest in extending the shelf life of ‘fresh’ foods and the upward trend of food poisoning make food irradiation an important additional technology. Used as a ‘pasteurising’ process it is remarkably gentle — as yet there is no generally applicable method of detecting that it has occurred. It does not make food radioactive, and intensive research studies have not shown any toxic effects associated with the process. Because it is very gentle compared to heating processes, it does not destroy bacterial toxins so that it cannot make spoiled food safe or palatable. Some losses of vitamins occur as in all methods of food preparation and processing. There are enormous advantages both for the manufacturer and the consumer in the controlled application of food irradiation which on balance, are of greater benefit than the minor disadvantage of nutrient losses comparable to current processing methods.