Food Irradiation: Food Irradiation: Can it Make Food Safer?Can it Make Food Safer?

• HistoryHistory• What is irradiation?What is irradiation?• Sources and facilitiesSources and facilities• Doses used for foodsDoses used for foods• BenefitsBenefits• WholesomenessWholesomeness• QualityQuality• CostCost

History of Food IrradiationHistory of Food Irradiation

• 19211921 Schwartz publishes studies on lethal Schwartz publishes studies on lethal effect of irradiation on effect of irradiation on TrichinellaTrichinella in in

porkpork• 19531953 “Atoms for Peace” program launches “Atoms for Peace” program launches

food food irradiation research in U.S.irradiation research in U.S.• 19551955 Research in Europe beginsResearch in Europe begins• 19581958 Amendment to FD&C act of 1938 Amendment to FD&C act of 1938

regarding food additivesregarding food additives

History of Food IrradiationHistory of Food Irradiation

• 19761976 Joint expert committee (IAEA, WHO, Joint expert committee (IAEA, WHO, and and FAO) declares food irradiation FAO) declares food irradiation a processa process

• 19801980 Same expert committee declares foods Same expert committee declares foods irradiated at irradiated at up to 10kGyup to 10kGy to be to be wholesomewholesome

• 19971997 Same expert committee declares foods Same expert committee declares foods irradiated at irradiated at ANY DOSEANY DOSE to be as to be as wholesome and safe as foods treated by wholesome and safe as foods treated by any conventional processing treatmentany conventional processing treatment

Who EndorsesWho EndorsesFood Irradiation?Food Irradiation?

American Council onScience & Health

American DieteticAssociation

American FarmBureau Federation

American MeatInstitute

American MedicalAssociation

American VeterinaryMedical Association

Animal HealthInstitute

Apple ProcessorsAssociation

ChocolateManufacturersAssociation

Council forAgricultural Science& Technology

Florida Fruit &VegetableAssociation

Food DistributorsInternational

Food and AgricultureOrganization

GroceryManufacturers ofAmerica

Health PhysicsSociety

Institute of FoodTechnologists

International FoodInformation Council

NationalConfectionersAssociation

National Cattlemen’sBeef Association

National FoodProcessorsAssociation

National MarineFisheries Institute

National MeatAssociation

National TurkeyFederation

National PorkProducers Council

Scientific Committeeof the EuropeanUnion

Produce MarketingAssociation

United EggAssociation

UK Institute of FoodScience &Technology

United Fresh Fruit &VegetableAssociation

Western GrowersAssociation

World HealthOrganization

Who in the World is Who in the World is Irradiating Food?Irradiating Food?

Argentina Bangladesh Belgium Brazil

Canada Chile China Croatia

Czech Republic Cuba Denmark Finland

France Germany Hungary India

Indonesia Iran Israel Italy

Japan Korea Malaysia Mexico

Netherlands Norway Poland Peru

South Africa Thailand United Kingdom USA

Vietnam Yugoslavia

What is Irradiation?What is Irradiation?

Effect of IrradiationEffect of Irradiationon Atomson Atoms

Incident photonIncident photon

The “Compton Effect”The “Compton Effect”

Effect of IrradiationEffect of Irradiationon Moleculeson Molecules

Effect of IrradiationEffect of Irradiationon Microorganismson Microorganisms

Sources Used for Sources Used for Food IrradiationFood Irradiation

• Gamma raysGamma rays– produced by Coproduced by Co6060 or Cs or Cs137137

– penetrate ~3 ft. materialpenetrate ~3 ft. material

• Accelerated electronsAccelerated electrons– produced by linear acceleratorproduced by linear accelerator

– penetrate ~3/4 in. (1.5 in. double-sided)penetrate ~3/4 in. (1.5 in. double-sided)

• X-raysX-rays– produced by linear acceleratorproduced by linear accelerator

– penetrate ~3 ft. materialpenetrate ~3 ft. material

A Word About RadioactivityA Word About Radioactivity

• Why FDA permits only Why FDA permits only CoCo6060 oror CsCs137137

– CoCo6060 has 1.3 MeV of has 1.3 MeV of Energy/photonEnergy/photon

– CsCs137137 has 0.67 MeV of has 0.67 MeV of Energy/photonEnergy/photon

– How much energy needs to How much energy needs to be applied to a material for be applied to a material for it to become radioactive?it to become radioactive?

A Word About Nuclear WasteA Word About Nuclear Waste

• Life cycle of CoLife cycle of Co6060

2727CoCo59 59 + + 00nn1 1 2727CoCo6060 2828NiNi6060

betabetagammagamma

Facilities - GammaFacilities - Gamma

* product already packaged* product already packaged* dosimetry recorded* dosimetry recorded* automated processing* automated processing* physical separation* physical separation

Facilities - Facilities - Linear AcceleratorLinear Accelerator

Electron GunElectron Gun

Irradiation DoseIrradiation Dose• Amount of energy absorbed per kg of Amount of energy absorbed per kg of

materialmaterial• kGy = kilo GraykGy = kilo Gray• Ranges:Ranges:

– High (sterilization): High (sterilization): >10 kGy>10 kGy– Medium (pasteurization): Medium (pasteurization): 1-10 kGy1-10 kGy– Low (disinfestation): Low (disinfestation): <1 kGy<1 kGy

ApplicationsApplications

High doseHigh dose

Medium doseMedium dose

Low doseLow dose

Current Approvals in U.S.Current Approvals in U.S.

Item Dose Date

Pork 1 kGy July, 1985

Spices 30 kGy April, 1986

Dried Vegetable Seasonings 1 kGy April, 1986

Fresh Fruits &Vegetables 1 kGy April, 1986

Enzymes 10 kGy April, 1986

Herbs 30 kGy April, 1986

Poultry 3.0 kGy September, 1992 (FDA 1990)

Red meat 4.5 kGy (fresh)7.0 kGy (frozen)

January, 2000 (FDA 1997)

Shell eggs 3.0 kGy July, 2000

Benefits of Food IrradiationBenefits of Food Irradiation

• Eliminates vegetative cells of:Eliminates vegetative cells of:– Escherichia coliEscherichia coli O157:H7 O157:H7– SalmonellaSalmonella– Listeria monocytogenesListeria monocytogenes– Campylobacter jejuniCampylobacter jejuni– OthersOthers

Benefits of Food IrradiationBenefits of Food Irradiation

• Shelf-life ExtensionShelf-life Extension

The Question of The Question of WholesomenessWholesomeness

Total of 1221 studies conducted up to 1979 Total of 1221 studies conducted up to 1979 on wholesomeness of 278 different foods on wholesomeness of 278 different foods fed to a variety of animals resulted in no fed to a variety of animals resulted in no significant difference between irradiated significant difference between irradiated

and nonirradiated foods in terms of:and nonirradiated foods in terms of:

toxigenicity, pathogenicity, or toxigenicity, pathogenicity, or mutagenicitymutagenicity

Summary ofSummary ofUS Army/Raltech StudyUS Army/Raltech Study

• Requested by FDA in 1976Requested by FDA in 1976

• 7 years, $8M cost7 years, $8M cost

• Rats, dogs, mice fed a variety of foods for 4 Rats, dogs, mice fed a variety of foods for 4 generationsgenerations

• FrozenFrozen vs. vs. CannedCanned vs. vs. IrradiatedIrradiated (56kGy) (56kGy)

– Highest incidence of neoplasms (Highest incidence of neoplasms (frozenfrozen food!) food!)– Lowest fertility after 3 generations (Lowest fertility after 3 generations (cannedcanned food!) food!)

– IrradiatedIrradiated food caused NO food caused NO

• reduction in offspring, increase in stillbirthsreduction in offspring, increase in stillbirths

Quality of Irradiated FoodsQuality of Irradiated Foods

Cost of Irradiated FoodsCost of Irradiated Foods

DoseDose TemperatureTemperature ThicknessThickness

TimeTime SourceSource

ThroughputThroughput TransportTransport

COSTCOST $0.02-$0.07/lb ?$0.02-$0.07/lb ?

Future of Food Irradiation?Future of Food Irradiation?

AAQuestionQuestionof Safetyof Safety

and and Choice.Choice.