Can irradiation be used to make spoiled food good?
No. Neither irradiation nor any other food treatment can reverse the spoilage process and make bad food good. If food already looks, tastes or smells bad – signs of spoilage – before irradiation, it cannot be saved by any treatment including irradiation How do I know if food has been treated with irradiation? Special labels are required on irradiated foods, including the international symbol of irradiation, known as a radura, and a statement indicating that the food was treated with irradiation Why are we interested in food irradiation? Presently over 40 countries have approved applications to irradiate approximately 40 different foods. These include such items as fruits, vegetables, spices, grains, seafood, meat and poultry. More than half a million tonnes of food is now irradiated throughout the world on a yearly basis. Although this amount represents only a fraction of the food consumed annually, it is constantly growing. This trend is due to three main factors: • Increasing concern
