Q. Can you explain Irradiation?

Irradiation: It is the process of exposing food to carefully controlled amount of ionising energy to destroy and control microorganisms in food. In fact, food irradiation can produce a wide variety of beneficial effects including delay in the ripening of fruits and vegetables, inhibition of post-harvest sprouting of tubers and bulb crops besides destruction of insects, parasites, bacteria, yeasts and moulds which can cause food spoilage or poisoning. There are three types of treatments that are given to food, which vary in terms of dosage level of radiation. These are:

a) Radappertization: It is the treatment of a food with a dose of irradiation, usually 25 to 45 kgrad to produce a commercially sterile product, similar to canning. This high dose food application is generally used for foods, is meant for immuno-compromised people and astronauts etc.

b) Radicidation: It is the treatment of a food with a dose of irradiation sufficient to reduce the number of viable, non-spore forming, pathogenic bacteria to undetectable levels which is equivalent to pasteurization with heat and the dose is generally less than 10 kgrad.

c) Radurization: It is the treatment of a food with a dose of radiation (40 kgrad) in sufficient quantities to reduce the number of spoilage microorganisms and to enhance the keeping quality of the foods.