Food Irradiation Research and Technology

The benefits of food irradiation to the public health have been described extensively by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. and the World Health Organization. The American Medical Association and the American Dietetic Association have both endorsed the irradiation process. Yet the potential health benefits of irradiation are unknown to many consumers and food industry representatives who are wary of irradiated foods due to myth-information from consumer-advocate groups.Food Irradiation Research and Technology presents the latest scientific findings of researchers at the leading edge of food irradiation. In this book, experts from industry, government, and academia:define the basic principles of irradiation and the public health benefits of irradiation,describe advances in irradiation technology, detection technology, and radiation dosimetry,review the regulations pertaining to food irradiation and the toxicological safety data,provide food industry representatives and public health officials with effective methodologies to educate consumers and counteract misinformation,review recent advances in the irradiation of meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, seafood, and the use of irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment.Food Irradiation Research and Technology appeals to a broad readership: industry food scientists involved in the processing of meat and fish, fruits and vegetables, food microbiologists and radiation processing specialists, government and industry representatives involved in the import and export of food commodities, and industry, local, and state officials involved in educational efforts regarding food irradiation.Food scientists and technologists share a responsibility to ensure that educational materials provided to the public regarding food safety and processing technologies are based on sound science and fact, not on misconceptions. Food Irradiation Research and Technology meets that goal.

Chapter 1. Introduction: Food Irradiation Moving On. Chapter 2. Advances in Gamma Ray, Electron Beam, and X-ray Technologies for Food Irradiation. Chapter 3. Regulation of Food Irradiation and Packaging. Chapter 4. Toxicological Safety of Irradiated Foods. Chapter 5. Consumer Acceptance and Marketing of Irradiated Foods. Chapter 6. Detection of Irradiated Foods. Chapter 7. Dosimetry for Food Processing and Research Applications. Chapter 8. Mechanisms and Prevention of Quality Changes in Meat by Irradiation. Chapter 9. Irradiation as Phytosanitory Treatment for Fresh Horticultural Commodities: Research and Regulations. Chapter 10. Low-Dose Irradiation of Fresh and Fresh-Cut Produce: Safety, Sensory, and Shelf Life. Chapter 11. Irradiation of Seafood with a Particular Emphasis on Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-eat Products. Chapter 12. Ionizing Radiation of Eggs. Chapter 13. Irradiation Treatment of Nuts. Chapter 14. Irradiated Ground Beef for the National School Lunch Program. Chapter 15. Potential Applications of Ionizing Radiation. Chapter 16. A Future Uncertain: Food Irradiation from a Legal Perspective. Chapter 17. Technical Challenges and Research Directions in Electronic Food Pasteurization.

industry food scientists involved in the processing of meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables, food microbiologists and radiation processing specialists, government and industry representatives involved in the import and export of food commodit