This document provides an overview of food irradiation, including: 1. It describes food irradiation as a process that exposes food to controlled amounts of radiation like gamma rays or electron beams to kill pathogens and increase shelf life. 2. It discusses why foods are irradiated, including to eliminate bacteria and parasites that cause disease, and to reduce spoilage. 3. It provides examples of foods that are currently approved for irradiation in the US, such as spices, potatoes, and wheat flour.

1. Presentation
On
“Food Irradiation”
Submitted To,
Er.N.K.Mishra
Asst.prof.,dept.of
APFE
Submitted By,
Lalit Kumar
M.Tech
pre.(APFE)

2. •What is food irradiation.
•Why irradiate foods.
•Science of irradiation.
•Radiation sources.
•History of food irradiation.
•What foods are currently irradiated.
•Approved dosages by FDA & USDA.
•How does food irradiation help.
•Benefits of food irradiation.

3. Process in which food products are exposed to a
controlled amount of radiant energy such as
gamma rays or electron rays.
Why irradiate foods?
•To kill pathogenic bacteria such as
E.colli:0157,Campylobacter,Salmonella,Clostridiu
m,perfrings etc.
•To control insects and parasites.
•To reduce spoilage.
•To increase shelf life by slowing ripening of
fresh fruits & vegetables.

4. Irradiation has received approval for use in
several food categories from the United States
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and has
been proven as an effective food safety measure
through more than 50 years of research.
Importance of Food safety
The presence of microbial pathogens on human
foods is a serious global problem.
Food pathogens enter the food supply through
various extrinsic sources and intrinsic routes.

5. More than 50 years of research has gone into our
understanding of safe and effective operation of
irradiation as a food safety measure more than
any other technology used in the industry today.
Food radiation employs controlled amounts of
ionizing (having sufficient energy to create
positive & negative charges) radiation to destroy
bacteria ,pathogens & pets in food & agri.
products , greatly reducing the threat of food
borne disease.

6. Ionizing radiation includes gamma rays (from
radioactive isotopes Co-60 or Cesium-137) ;
beta rays generated by electron beam or E-beam,
and X-rays.
None of these irradiation sources has sufficient
energy to be capable of including radioactivity;
however they do have enough energy to remove
electrons from atoms to form ions or free
radicals.
The free electrons collide with chemical bonds in
the microbial DNA molecules, thereby breaking
them and rendering the microbe dead.

8. The amount of ionizing radiation absorbed dose
and is measured in units of rads & grays;
1 rad = 100 erg/g
1 Gy = 100 rads
With 1 Gy equal to 1 joule/kg and 1000 grays
equal to 1 kilo Gray (kGy)

9. Not to exceed 1 kGy-To control
insects,arthropods & to inhibit maturation of
fresh foods.
Not to exceed 3 kGy-Poultry
Not to exceed 4.5 kGy-Refrigerated & frozen
red meats.
Not to exceed 10 kGy-Dehydrated enzymes.
Not to exceed 30 kGy-Spices.

10. Radionuclide or radioactive materials that
gives off ionizing gamma rays.
• Cobalt-60
• Cesium-137
Machine sources of ionizing radiation.
• Electron beam.

11. 1905- Scientists receive patents to use ionizing
radiation to kill bacteria in foods.
1920- French scientists discover irradiation
preserve foods.
1921- U.S. patent is grant for a process to kill
Trichnella spirals in meat using X-rays.
1958-The food , Drug & Cosmetic Act is
amended & defines sources of irradiation for
using in processing food.

12.  Flour (wheat flour)
 Potatoes
 Spices
 Tea
 Fruits & vegetables.
Not goods!
Irradiation cannot be used for all foods such as
Dairy products , Peaches , Nectarines etc.

13. Before approvals, considered-
•Microbiological safety
•Radiological safety
•Toxicological safety
•Nutritional safety

14. Food undergoing the irradiation process never comes
into direct contact with the radiation source. The source
is in a room that designed to protect workers & the
external environment from the radiation within it. The
food is moved into the radiation field via a conveyor
belt.
The gamma or x-rays
irradiating the food like
bacteria , insects &
pathogens & renders
them unable to
reproduce &
biologically inactive.

15. Food is exposed to carefully controlled
amounts of radiation.
Radiation damages DNA or microbes &
parasites
Diseases causing germs are reduced
Bacteria which cause spoilage are reduced.
Sprouting is stowed or stopped.

16. The food itself does not become radioactive
because the radiation used in the process does
not have enough energy to alter the molecular
structure of any of the atoms in the food.
It is therefore impossible for this radiation to
make the food radioactive & no-radiation
remains after the food has been treated.

17. Disease causing germs are reduced or eliminated.
Decrease incidence of food borne illiness.
Increase level of quality assurance in
international trade of food products.
Nutritional value of food is preserved.
Increasing shelf life of meats , fruits and
vegetables.

18. A beam of electron is accelerated by an
electron gun ; similar to a TV tube accelerating
electrons towards screen.
Electron beams can only penetrate about 1
inch into material.
X-rays
Similar to medical x-rays sources
Gamma rays
Emitted from spontaneous radioactive decay.

19. Nutritional effects
1. Macronutrients- proteins , carbohydrates ,
fats (unaffected).
2. Micronutrients-vitamins (some
reduction)[compared to other processing or
storage techniques including Pasteurization ,
canning , or even cold storage.]
 No-change in taste.

20.  Severe accidents are not possible
I. Electron beam & x-rays sources can be
easily turned off.
II. Gamma rays sources cannot blow up.
 The facility itself cannot become radioactive.
 No-radioactive waste (used Cobalt-60
gamma sources can be rejected/regenerated.)

21. Food is packed in containers & moved by
conveyor belt into a shielded room.
Food is exposed briefly to a radiant energy
source (the amount of energy depends on the
food) .
Food is left virtually unchanged but the
number of harmful bacteria , parasites & fungi
is reduced & may be eliminated.

22. Objectives Foods
Microbial and enzyme
decontamination .
Sprout inhibition.
Fruit maturation control.
Insect disinfestations.
Extension of storage.
Meat (red meat, poultry, fish)
& liquid food (milk juices).
Bulbs & tubers (garlic,
potato , onion).
Banana , papaya fruit.
Cereals & their products &
dry vegetables.
Meat & vegetables.

23. In 1994 Govt. of India approved irradiation of
onion , potato & spices for internal marketing &
consumption.
Additional items were approved in April 1998 &
2001.
There is small scale food packages irradiator at
food technology division , BARC , Mumbai ,
which can treat up to 500 kg of onion & potato
per hour.

24. Radiation processed foods
cannot be recognized by sight, ,
smell,taste or touch. Codex
Alimentarius Commission has
endorsed a green irradiation
logo.
Logo along with the words
“processed by irradiation
method” & date of irradiation ,
license number of facility &
purpose of irradiation.

25. Food irradiation technology has unique merits
over conventional methods of preservation such
as canning , dehydration , salting etc. as this
process does not lead to loss of flavour , odour ,
texture & freshness.
Unlike chemical fumigants , irradiation does not
leave any harmful toxic residues in food & is
more effective.
Since gamma rays have high penetrating power,
spices can be irradiated after packaging.

26. One of the most important limitations of food
irradiation processing is its slow acceptance by
consumers ; due to inter alia to perceived
association with radioactivity.
After several market testing
These studies showed that , if the safety and
the benefits of food irradiation were properly
explained , the consumers were willing to
accept irradiated foods.