What are the alternatives to food irradiation?
There are many traditional methods for preserving foods, such as drying, smoking, salt or sugar curing, and canning. These methods generally alter the flavor and chemical composition of the food. More modern methods, such as heat pasteurization and refrigeration or freezing, as well as freeze drying, are also common. Decisions about which method to use for individual foods and circumstances must weigh feasibility, effectiveness, and cost as well as the chemical changes each method causes in the food. The FDA emphasizes that no preservation method is a substitute for safe food handling procedures.
