Food Irradiation Research Paper

Food irradiation is a technology that can be safely used to reduce food losses due to deterioration and to control contamination causing illness and death. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for regulating the sources of radiation that are used to irradiate food. Radiation is energy in transit either as electromagnetic waves or high-speed particles. These kinds of radiation are also referred as ionizing radiation because their energy levels are high enough to dislodge electrons from atoms and molecules and to convert them to electrically charged particles called ions (DOH, 2000). Food irradiation uses radiant energy to rid food of harmful microorganisms, insects, fungi and other pests to retard spoilage. Hence, FDA approves

To be licensed, the facility must have been designed with multiple fail-safe measures, and must establish extensive and well documented safety procedures, and worker training. The common features of all commercial irradiation facilities are the irradiation room and a device to transport the food into and out of the room. The transport system employed in a large food irradiation facility is similar to that used for sterilization of medical products and can be either a conveyor or a rail system. The speed of the belt helps to control the radiation dose delivered to the food by controlling the exposure time. In order to prevent inadvertent gamma radiation exposure, the source must be insulated from the outside world by a 1.5 to 1.8 metres thick concrete shielding surrounding the irradiation room. In the case of a gamma irradiator, the radionuclide source emits radiation and when not being used to treat food must be stored in a water pool that is usually 6 metres in depth. Water is known as one of the best shields against radiation energy because it can absorb the radiation energy and protects from exposure if they must enter the room. Radioactive elements do not have an "off" switch, nor do they come equipped with directional or intensity controls. In contrast to gamma irradiators, machines producing high-energy operate on electricity and can be switched off. Product thickness depends on density and electron energy that treatment on the top and bottom of a package. The facility of 3 typical type radiation sources for whole processing of food irradiation is shown as