Food irradiation is when companies use radiation to treat food so it has a longer shelf life by reducing microorganisms that may be present in untreated foods. Flavor, odor, appearance, and even the texture of food can be ruined due to the irradiation. Besides the obvious factors that ruin the food, serious questions have been raised as to whether irradiated foods are even safe to eat. Irradiation can not kill all bacteria in food; the bacteria that survives is radiation resistant and eventually these bacteria will need higher doses of radiation. This topic is focused on the federal level because foods all over the country are treated with radiation and pose a serious health risk. Although the FDA regulates the food that undergoes radiation …show more content…
Often times, tropical fruits imported into the United States bring with them unwanted insects. Since insects are known to disrupt as well as bring disease, eliminating them for the sake of consumers is always good. (CA.gov). One of the biggest reasons to make sure consumers know what food is irradiated is the Center for Food Safety says that food irradiation is an after-the-fact solution that does nothing to address the unsanitary conditions of factory farms, and actually creates a disincentive for producers and handlers to take preventative steps in production in handling (Irradiation and Food Borne Illness). Also, irradiation does not work to stop toxins produced by some bacteria like botulism or viruses like foot and mouth disease and even hepatitis, which are actually resistant to the irradiation doses used in food (Irradiation and Food Borne Illness). Another reason people need to know what food is irradiated is the fact that food irradiation can destroy a large amount of the vitamins in food. For example, it can take 80% of an eggs vitamin A away(Irradiation and Food Borne Illness). After years of research, food scientists still do not fully understand how these changes take place. Much of the ongoing research is focused on devising new ways to hide these changes, rather than addressing the cause of the changes themselves(Irradiation and Food Borne