FRI Briefings Food Irradiation

The continuing saga of foodborne disease outbreaks as reported in scientific publications and the popular press has raised consumer anxiety about foodborne illness and revitalized interest in irradiation as a method for eliminating or reducing foodborne pathogens.In addition to the well-known problems of salmonellae on poultry products, E. coli O157:H7 in hamburger, and, most recently, Listeria in packaged meats, there have been numerous reports of Vibrio spp. in shellfish and of fresh fruits and vegetables contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and parasites such as Cyclospora. Irradiation has the potential to enhance food safety for both fresh foods that will be consumed raw and for raw foods that will be further processed. Many of the recent, well-publicized, large recalls of hamburger and other meats have raised consumer awareness of the particular significance of food safety for the young, the old, and those with impaired immune systems. These factors and better education of consumers about what irradiation of food involves and what it does (and does not do) to foods appear to have increased consumer acceptance of irradiation as one means of producing safe foods.