Food Irradiation(Food Treatment With Ionizing Radiation)
Food Irradiation (Food Treatment with ionizing radiation)
By: Shaina Reddinger
Pd. 6
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa-fdir.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_irradiation
http://www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/food.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/Ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodirradiation.htm
Have you ever eaten non-organic refrigerated or frozen food and wondered how it could stay so fresh? Well the answer to this is food irradiation. It is the food treatment process that uses radiation to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be in the food. The effect of making food by ionizing radiation relates to damaging to the DNA, in which case the microorganisms can no longer reproduce and continue their daily activities which allow them to quickly die off. Over 40 countries currently permit food radiation treatments. With global food production estimated at 4,580 metric tons, irradiated food represents about 0.01 percent of this total. Although irradiation has been studied for many years, the long-term effects of consuming irradiated foods are unknown. Experiments on lab animals have yielded mixed results, leading some scientists and public interest organizations to warn people against eating irradiating foods. Additionally, irradiation can change the flavor, smell and feelof the food. In 2004, SureBeam, a manufacturer of irradiation equipment intended for beef products, filed for bankruptcy, because meat packers were slow to use irradiation, and SureBeam was removed from the NASDAQ stock exchange due to a stop in filing the packaging requirements due to medical complaints. There are three common types of radiation, electron irradiation, gamma irradiation (now only available to military experts), and X-ray irradiation (similar to gamma irradiation).
In the US as in many other countries irradiated food must be labeled as “Treated with irradiation” or “Treated by radiation” and have of the Radura symbol when sold which is a warning that the food has been treated with radiation. The FDA is now has a rule that in some cases would allow certain foods to be marketed without any labeling at all. Only those irradiated foods in which the irradiation causes a change in the food, or a change in the consequences that may result from the use of the food, would have the Radura symbol. In the same rule FDA is proposing to use the terms “electronically pasteurized” or “cold pasteurized” instead of “irradiated” on all food products. Some people say that “Irradiated fruits and vegetables benefit the packer and grocer, not the farmer or consumer. The consumer receives an inferior product that appears fresh, but has depleted vitamins and enzymes”. So know you know about food that has been treated with radiation. Next time when your buying geroceries, see if your eating radiated food and ask yourself is this what I should be eating?
