Irradiation’ and its Potential to Food Preservation

Authors

Abstract:

In spite of the technologies developed during the last decade, the level of food loss is still high and is reported in many countries. According to the United Nations, more than 30 per cent of the mortality rate world-wide is caused by alimentary diseases. The desire of most countries to make food safer for consumption requires better food preservation and production techniques. In this regard, irradiation is an interesting alternative to be considered Food irradiation is a process exposing food to ionizing radiations such as gamma rays emitted from the radioisotopes 60Co and 137Cs, high energy electrons and X-rays produced by machine sources. Some agricultural products are important commodities in international trade. The trade of these products is often seriously hampered by infestation of several species of insects and mites. The presence of parasites, some microorganisms, yeast and moulds are also the source of problems, sometimes directly or indirectly through toxin formation in the food products. Irradiation alone or combined with others processes can contribute to ensuring food safety to healthy and compromised consumers, satisfying quarantine requirements and controlling severe losses during transportation and commercialization. Depending on the absorbed radiation dose, various effects can be achieved resulting in reduced storage losses, extended shelf life and/or improved microbiological and parasitological safety of foods. However, hindering factors in the way of commercial implementation of the food irradiation process are politics and consumer advocacy. This paper reviews the application of irradiation for preserving some fruit and vegetables.

Upgrade to premium to download articles

Sign up to access the full text

Already have an account?login

similar resources

irradiation’ and its potential to food preservation

in spite of the technologies developed during the last decade, the level of food loss is still high and is reported in many countries. according to the united nations, more than 30 per cent of the mortality rate world-wide is caused by alimentary diseases. the desire of most countries to make food safer for consumption requires better food preservation and production techniques. in this regard,...

full text

Food Preservation by Irradiation

The subject of assay standardization and quality control was considered at length in two round-table discussion sessions, one on assay design, standardization and within laboratory quality control and one on external quality control, arranged in co-operation with the World Health Organization Special Programme of Research in Human Reproduction. These sessions evoked much interest and the import...

full text

Radiation and agriculture Food preservation by irradiation

Since about over a quarter of our harvested food is lost due to various kinds of wastage and spoilage, food preservation is no less important than food production. It is sounder policy to conserve what is produced than to produce more to compensate for subsequent losses Besides the prevention of losses, demand is also growing in both the developed and the developing countries for food which is ...

full text

My Resources

Save resource for easier access later

Save to my library Already added to my library

{@ msg_add @}


Journal title

volume 2  issue Issue 4 (2)

pages  477- 481

publication date 2014-04-01

By following a journal you will be notified via email when a new issue of this journal is published.

Hosted on Doprax cloud platform doprax.com

copyright © 2015-2023