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Food Irradiation
Food irradiation is a form of technology which treats food rendering it free from micro-organisms by slowing down their division. Irradiation involves exposing food to an ionizing radiation process which covers the food with a protective cover. Most research has shown that food irradiation is safe both on the food and to the people eating the food. Although the process involves exposure to radiation amounts, this does not mean that the process is harmful to the food. The radiation is controlled and in fact more benefits have been derived from the process. Though it has been regarded to be a safety measure in preserving, it has its disadvantages (UW 1).
The important part in irradiation is that pathogens that cause food to spoil are eliminated in the process thus preserving the food for longer periods. In cases which involve food being subjected to radiation, it is expected that the nutritional structure of the food might be altered. When the nutritional component is changed then people do not consider the food healthy to be eaten since it has lost its nutritional value. This is rather surprising, since even when food undergoes irradiation, the nutritional content still remains unchanged. In addition, food does not in any way absorb radiation thus the dangers of the food being radioactive are eliminated. Therefore, this indicates that the process is a safe (UW 1). During the irradiation of food, energy which is absorbed into the chemical structure is used to break the chemical bonds. This leads to disintegration of the DNA strand which renders the microorganism unable to multiply (Keener 3).
Although, food irradiation has enabled even packaged food to be irradiated, it is not a permanent measure since once the package is opened; the food is exposed to the microorganisms (Keener 3). The irradiated foods are known to cost more than the non-irradiated foods. Even the slightest increase in the price of the foods, is bound to discourage the consumers from buying. Therefore, if buying the irradiated foods is a problem then its acceptance is going to prove to be difficult. Although, some groups in the food industry argue that the slight increase in the prices is catered for by the benefits which come from buying foods that are irradiated (FDA 8).
This technology has widely been used because a lot of incidents of food spoilage were becoming a concern to the society. Bacteria and parasites infesting food causing heavy losses to be experienced, promoted the use of such a technology. Food-borne diseases due to contamination were on the rise and irradiation created a remedy for this problem. Increased and strict regulations on using chemicals in pests and microorganism control pushed companies to concentrate in food irradiation since it had no harmful effects on the food (ICGFI 4). The technology found a great importance in the space exploration industry. NASA uses food that has been irradiated while in space. The food is usually sterilized and stays for a long period of time before it spoils. This is effective for the astronauts since they spend a considerable amount of time in their exploration activities. Therefore, they need food stuff that would not spoil in a few days (USEPA 1).
Food irradiation is expected to eliminate microorganisms and make them inactive but concerns are growing that the process has failed to deactivate toxins which are produced by bacteria; for example, C.botulism which are considered harmful and are a hazard to human life. In the case of C. botulism, the bacterium is not the harmful organism but the toxin that it produces. Although, irradiation might be successful in killing the microorganisms, it does not have the power to deactivate the toxins of several species of microorganisms (USEPA 1).
The reason why irradiation is used is because of its ability to preserve food for longer periods but it has a huge disadvantage: the aging of the food stuff is not prevented. This means that fruits and vegetables go bad while appearing to be fresh. This idea of making old food appear fresh is thought to lessen the nutrients and also change the taste of the fruits or vegetables. This is due to the fact that, the sprouting and ripening process are slowed by the ionizing radiation. The presence of bacteria, especially in fruits, makes it possible for humans to notice whether the fruit is spoilt. Therefore, the elimination and destruction of these bacteria makes it hard for anyone to realize whether the fruit is spoilt or not. This might lead to people feeding on fruits that are not fit for human consumption (USEPA 1).
Microorganisms which quicken the ripening of fruits for example, in strawberries, are prevented from multiplying thus making it possible for them to last up to three weeks. This is in contrasting with the strawberries that have not been irradiated which only take up to a maximum of five days. The American Medical Association confirms irradiation to be a healthy way in increasing food safety only when done under the rules and conditions of its application. Therefore, the moment when the set regulations and measurements are not followed, negative effects are bound to occur (FDA 2-4).
The irradiation of food is an expensive venture which has a lot of complications especially in the licensing part. The operating cost of companies dealing in this kind of technology is high. In the early years of its operation, there were difficulties which were encountered especially in finding sources of ionizing radiation. The technology was faced with heated debated in several countries while still at its infancy. Health agencies refused the commercialization of the process in their respective countries (Nordion 1-2).
Due to the increase in international trade, there is need to maintain strict importation standards that meet the expected quality in the country receiving them (ICGFI 4). The concerned agencies and health authorities should ensure that, the foods that have been approved for irradiation are indeed the only ones undergoing that process. They should also ensure that the necessary standards are met and that all the irradiated foods bear a logo and confirm that they have been irradiated. Those found going against the rules and regulations set for food irradiation should have heavy penalties leveled against them (USEPA 1). In an effort to see improvements in the safety of food, American Nuclear Society has proposed that, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should conduct additional research on more foods to approve for irradiation. The department of agriculture in collaboration with FDA should create awareness programs and initiatives in sensitizing the consumers on the technology of food irradiation (ANS 1). Since any form of radiation if not well regulated can be harmful to vegetation and humanity, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRS) oversees the regulation of the companies licensed to perform the process (UW 1).
Irradiation has been credited in eliminating pathogens which cause food to spoil, smell and taste bad. This technology cannot however reverse the effects of spoilage once it has already taken place. Even when the spoilt food is subjected to irradiation, the bad smell and taste will still be apparent in the food. There is no criterion or process of improving food that is already spoilt (ICGFI 14-15).
Many debates have arisen concerning whether it is necessary to use the irradiation technology to improve on food safety. This process can be compared to the pasteurization process which was a way of ensuring that the milk taken is safe even after a few days. Studies show that the commercialization of the process of pasteurization took a lot of years to become accepted as a safety way of preserving milk. This happens to be the same scenario with irradiated foods. Research and studies conducted have indicated that food irradiation is a safety way of preserving food; the idea has not been accepted by many. This creates an obstacle in the commercialization of the technology. Misconceptions and uninformed perspectives have contributed largely in causing difficulties in the adoption of the technology (ICGFI 14-15). The organizations responsible for implementing this technology should strive to create awareness so as to ensure its success.
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Picture Illustrations
All picture illustrations are taken from (ICGFI. Facts about Food Irradiation. Vienna: International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation, 1999. Print).
Sprouting losses in stored potatoes can be prevented by irradiation
Nham (fermented pork sausage) is commercially irradiated
and marketed in Thailand
Irradiated fresh fruits and vegetables on sale in USA
Most commonly used food packaging materials are suitable for irradiated
Foods
Works Cited
ICGFI. Facts about Food Irradiation. Vienna: International Consultative Group on Food
Irradiation, 1999. Print.
UW .The food irradiation process. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin, 2009. Print.
USEPA. Food Irradiation. Radtown: United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2006.
Print.
FDA. Food Irradiation: A Safe Measure. New Hampshire: Food and drugs administration, 2000.
Print.
Nordion. The History of Food Irradiation. Ottawa: Nordion Science Advancing Health, 2011.
Print.
Keener, Kevin M. Food Irradiation: To Zap or not to Zap?. North Carolina: North Carolina State
University, 2013. Print.
ANS. Food Irradiation: Position Statement. Illinois: American Nuclear Society, 2009. Print.
