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6. What about irradiation of food?




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This article is from the Food Science FAQ, bypking123@sympatico.ca (Paul E. J. King) with numerous contributions by others.

6. What about irradiation of food?

Irradiation is a comparatively new method, one method among many,
of safe food preservation. It is, however, the only method (apart
from ultra-high pressure) of pasteurising without use of heat, and
can therefore be valuable in a limited number of cases; for example,
soft fruits and prawns, where quality is retained better than in heat
pasteurisation. It is a controversial technique but, despite media
scare stories, tests show that it is a safe and reliable process.
Whether, and to what extent, it will be used for any particular food
in a country will depend on governmental approval, economics and
public acceptance

As irradiated foods come on the market, so long as there is a
continuing public demand for unirradiated versions they will
obviously continue to be marketed alongside the irradiated versions.
But where the quality and safety of the irradiated products prove
superior, and the economics are viable, concerns will in time
disappear. This is exactly what happened a few generations ago when
similar concerns were expressed about permitting pasteurisation of
milk; yet today people happily and safely drink pasteurised milk. No
doubt the same will occur with acceptance of irradiated foods in the
future.

 

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