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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248448
Title: Food Irradiation – Principles and Applications

Author
item Niemira, Brendan
item Sommers, Christopher

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2010
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This article deals with the application of ionizing radiation (IR) to foods so as to improve their safety, shelf-life, and quality. The topics covered include: the types of equipment used to generate IR, and their advantages and disadvantages; IR’s mode of action in foods; the latest information on the safety and nutritional quality of irradiated foods; current topics of research for irradiated meats and produce; a discussion of the economics of irradiated food, including case study analysis; and a summary of the current regulations governing what foods and packaging materials can be irradiated and what doses they can be given. The goal of this article is to provide the most up-to-date, scientifically accurate information on what food irradiation is and how it is being applied now, and likely applications in the near future.