1 / 15

FOOD IRRADIATION Maria del Pilar Solano, M.D. April 29, 2003

FOOD IRRADIATION Maria del Pilar Solano, M.D. April 29, 2003. What is Food Irradiation ?.

happy
Download Presentation

FOOD IRRADIATION Maria del Pilar Solano, M.D. April 29, 2003

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. FOOD IRRADIATION Maria del Pilar Solano, M.D. April 29, 2003

  2. What is Food Irradiation ? “Process by which food is exposed to a controlled source of ionizing radiation to prolong shelf life, improve microbiologic safety, and/or reduce the use of chemical fumigants and additives”

  3. Food Irradiation Uses • Reduce insect infestation -grain, spices, fruits and vegetables • Inhibit sprouting -tubers and bulbs • Retard ripening -fruits • Inactivate parasites -meats and fish • Eliminate spoilage microbes -fruits, veggies • Extend shelf life -poultry, meat, fish, shellfish • Decontaminate -poultry and meat • Sterilize foods and feeds

  4. FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS Listeria Toxoplasma Hepatitis A Salmonella Criptosporidium E.coli. Shiguella Emer Inf Dis 1999;5: 786

  5. Irradiation Sources: • Gamma rays (cobalt 60 or Cesium 137) • Electron-beam • X ray Dose for food irradiation: 0.05-10 kGy

  6. Food Irradiation-Regulation • 1958: Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938

  7. Food Dose (KGy) Purpose Approval year Wheat flour 0.2-0.5 Control of mold 1963 White potatoes 0.05-0.15 Inhibit sprouting 1964 Pork 0.3-1.0 Kill Trichina parasites 1986 Fruit and vegetables 1.0 Insect control, increase shelf-life 1986 Herbs and spices 30 Sterilization 1986 Poultry 3.0 Bacterial pathogen reduction 1990-FDA Poultry 1.5-3.0 Bacterial pathogen reduction 1992-USDA Meat 4.5 (fresh)-7(frozen) Bacterial pathogen reduction 1997-FDA Meat 4.5 Bacterial pathogen reduction 1999-USDA Fresh shell eggs 3.0 Control Salmonella species 2000

  8. Food Irradiation - Safety • Radiologic and toxicologic safety: • Neither the food nor the packaging become radioactive • No concern for unique radiolytic products (FDA) • Animal feeding studies since 1950 with metabolic, reproductive, teratogenic, mutageic endpoints. FAO, WHO, FDA food irradiation is safe under specified conditions

  9. Food Irradiation-Safety • Microbiological Safety

  10. Microbiologic safety • Viruses, spores, prions are resistant to radiation • Gram(-)spoilage bacteria > suceptible than pathogenic bacteria • Clostridium botulinun type E is resistant • ? Increase in mycotoxin after irradiation • ? Radiation resistance and mutational changes

  11. Nutritional Adequacy • Changes similar to those of cooking, canning, pausteurizing, heat processing • Vitamin loss: Thiamine>Vit C, B6>B2>niacin. Synergism with heat • CHO and proteins relatively irradiation-resistant • Fats can be oxidized rancidity, odor changes

  12. Consumer Issues

  13. Controversies • Safety: ?Chromosome damage in susceptible individuals. ?long-term effects • Nutrition: ? Effect of Vitamin loss in elderly, malnourished and children • Environmental: ?danger of transporting radioactive isotopes, new irradiation plants, worker exposure

  14. The Future ?

More Related