Electron beam irradiation (EBI) involves use of high energy Electron beam processing or electron irradiation is a process which involves using beta radiation, usually of high energy, to treat an object for a variety of purposes. This may take place under elevated temperatures and nitrogen atmosphere. Possible uses for electron irradiation include sterilization.electrons at levels which inactivate microorganisms, cause minimal thermal change and enable optimization of the safe shelf-life of treated foods.

1. ELECTRON BEAM TECHNIQUE IN
FOOD INDUSTRY
SUNIL MEENA
(M.TECH. 1st Year)
Mob. No.
8806866056
Dairy Technology Division
NATIONAL DAIRY RESEARCH
INSTITUTE, KARNAL

2. Introduction
Electron beam processing(EBP) principle
& Mechanism
Factors affecting EBP of foods
Applications of EBP in Food industry
Advantages and disadvantages of EBP
Conclusion
CONTENTS
2

3. INTRODUCTION
IRRADIATION: Processing of food products by ionizing
radiation, specifically gamma rays, X rays or accelerated
electrons as specified in the Codex General Standard for
Irradiated Foods. (CAC, 2003)
Three types
Electron beam
(e-beam)
X-rays
Gamma-rays (Farkas et al.,
2014)

4. Electron beam processing
 Uses low-dose ionizing radiation can
eliminate microbial contamination .
 Food quality degradation due to
heat does not occur in EBP.
 Alternative to traditional thermal
decontamination and chemical
fumigation of food (USFDA).
 Maintains food quality and helps in
extending the shelf life.
(Lung et al., 2015)
4

5. PARAMETER GAMMA RAYS E-BEAM X RAYS
Power source Radioactive isotope Electricity Electricity
Properties Photons Electrons Photons
Maximum
penetration
300 mm 38 mm for 10
MeV(million electron
volts)
400 mm
Dose rate 2.8x10-3 kG/s 100 kG/s 0.27 kG/s
Emissions Isotropic (direction
cannot be controlled)
Unidirectional Forward peaked
Time 2 hrs (120 min) 0.05 hrs (3 min) ----------
Odueke et al, 2016
Difference between E-beam and other irradiation
technologies
5

6. ELECTRON BEAM
PRINCIPLE AND
MECHANISM
6

7. DIRECT EFFECT
• Disrupts internal metabolism of cells by destruction of
chemical bonds.
• Cells no longer perform normal physiological activities.
• Lose the function of chromosomal replication and
division resulting in ageing and death.
• DAMAGE is either lethal or prevents the microorganism
from being able to reproduce.
(Tahergorabi et al., 2012) 7

8. INDIRECT EFFECT
• E-beam ionizes the water molecules to produce
unstable free radicals, resulting in cell injury and
death.
• The indirect effect of e-beam on microbial
inactivation is dependent on the aw of the food
product.
(Tahergorabi et al., 2012) 8

9. Fig. 1. (a) Direct effect of microbial inactivation by e-beam targets the genetic material
(DNA and RNA) and breaks the base pairs G-C (guanine-cytosine)
and T-A (thymine-adenine), resulting in reproductive death of microorganisms;
(b) Indirect effect of microbial inactivation by e-beam is
due to free radicals that compromise cell membrane. The free radicals are generated from
water. Water molecules undergo radiolysis when subjected
to e-beam yielding species with unpaired electrons (Tahergorabi et al., 2012)
9

10. ELECTRON BEAM
SYSTEM
• Electron Source
• Product Handling
• Shielding
• Support Units
10

11. FACTORS
AFFECTING
EBP
OF
FOODS

12. • Specific dose deliver to achieve a desired result in different
food
• Food irradiation dose does not exceed 10 kGy.
• > 1.5 kGy cause brown discoloration of meat, when it exposed
to air.
• 1-3 kGy will cause softening of some fruits & vegetables.
• vitamin loss may occur at higher dose (A,D,E & K)
• 5–7 kGy is most effective against yeast & mold
(Mittendorfer et al)
Irradiation Dose
(WHO Report,1998) 12

13. • Gram negative bacteria is generally more sensitive than
Gram positive bacteria
• Bacterial spores kill at high dose
• 1 kGy reduced L. monocytogenes in cold-smoked salmon
and 2.0 kGy eliminated the pathogen
• Higher temperatures make organisms more sensitive to
radiation
(Medina et al,2008)
Effects on microorganisms
13

14. APPLICATION
OF
ELECTRON
BEAM
IN
FOOD INDSTRY
14

15. Meat &
seafood
33,000t, 8%
Garlic, potato
88,000t, 22%
Others
17,000t, 4%
Grain & fruit
82,000t, 20%
Spice & dry
vegetable 186,000t,
46%
Food irradiation items in the world in 2005
(Kume et al ,2005)
15

16. FOOD SAFETY
16

17. 17
• e-beam inactivates
microorganisms non-
thermally, it may be used to
inactivate Salmonella in fresh
food products such as
produce, eggs, RTEs, and
peanut butter.
• E-beam at 0.4 and 0.7 kGy
resulted in the reduction of
Salmonella in spinach by 3.4
and 4-log respectively,
without product damage.
• Serrano et al, concluded that 0.5
kGy eliminate S. enteritidis from
the shell of whole eggs, while 1.5
kGy was sufficient to significantly
reduce pathogen from whole shell
eggs and liquid whole eggs.

18. At 1 kGy dose of E beam
• ≤1.9 log CFU/g reduction in Salmonella
• ≤4.5 & ≤3.9 log CFU/g (non-O157 E. coli)
• ≤4.0 log CFU/g E. coli O157:H7
18

19. Low-dose irradiation is
applied to delay produce
maturation, effective in
reducing bacterial
pathogens (Lu, et al, 2011)
For use on fruits and
vegetables at a maximum
level of 1.0 kGy has been
approved by the FDA .
19

20. Applications in dairy products
• Tsiotsias et al. (2002) soft whey cheese at doses of 0.5,
2.0 and 4.0 kGy at 4 °C reported the absence of
moulds and Enterobacteriaceae in the irradiated
samples, whilst there was a reduction in yeast
population which was later detected during storage.
• Shelf-life extension of mozzarella cheese at 10 °C for
30 days by using 5 doses of 10 MeV electron beam
accelerator at 30°C
• At, 2 kGy inhibition of microorganisms without
compromising the sensory qualities of cheese
20(Hugo et al, 2013 )

21. • Ham et al. (2009) concluded that irradiating plain yoghurt
exhibits the potential to extend the shelf life, reduces
allergenicity and provides a safer product without
compromising the chemical and sensory
• No Salmonella Typhimurium and E. coli found in
chocolate ice cream irradiated at 1 and 3 kG
• 1 kGy was sufficient in eliminating the number of
pathogens present in ice cream (Kamat et al.,2008)
• Dried milk products max. dose 3 kGy for disinfestation
,30kGy for microbial control (IAEA 2012)
21

22. • casein and caseinates max. dose of 3 kGy for microbial
control (France and Czech Republic)
• 1 kGy for sliced cheese and 3 kGy for pizza cheese
eliminate total aerobic bacteria
(Kim et al.,2010)
• 5 kGy e-beam inactive E. sakazakii in milk powder without
affecting flavour (Lee, et al,2005)
• Less attention was given to dairy products due to the
potential adverse effects on organoleptic qualities in high
fat content products (Odueke et al., 2016)
•
22

23. Results: 1.0 kGy achieved between 4 and 5 log reduction of
the natural bioburden in milk
With the exception of Vitamin B2, there was no significant
difference in the nutrient content and aroma profiles of the
raw milk and eBeam milk processed at 1.0 and 2.0 kGy. 23

24. Packaging
decontamination
FOOD PACKAGING
24

25. The use of eBeam
technology has
resulted in about 80%
less energy
consumption for
sterilization, and 33%
less electrical power
usage.
25

26. Cirri Gianfranco et al,2014
26

27. • Microbial decontamination
• No need photo-initiators
• Energy utilization efficiency is extremely high
• Food pasteurization and sterilization
• Higher absorbed dose rate , so less processing time
• Reaction control is easy
• No chemical residuals
• Inexpensive
• Environmentally friendly (Sugranes et al., 2005)
ADVANTAGES
27

28. DISADVANTAGES
• At higher dose ,Softening the texture of F &V
• Can cause oxidation of fat in dairy products
• Requires highly skilled staffs and extra investments for
protective facilities
• The safe processing through food irradiation is still not
appreciated by the consumers
• Short penetration depth( max 8 cm )
• Depends upon the orientation of food component
(Miller et al, 2005) 28

29. REGULATIONS
Various international agencies working on irradiated foods
“The maximum absorbed dose delivered to a food shall not exceed 10 kGy,
except when necessary to achieve a legitimate technological process”.
(CAC, 2003)
2

30. CLASS FOOD PURPOSE MIN.
DOSE
LIMIT
(kGray)
MAX.
DOSE
LIMIT
(kGray)
Class 1 Bulbs, stem, rhizomes and root tubers Inhibit sprouting 0.02 0.2
Class 2 Fresh fruits and vegetables (other than
class 1)
Delay ripening 0.2 1.0
Insect
disinfestation
0.2 1.0
Shelf life extension 1.0 2.5
Class 3 Cereals, pulses and their milled
products, nuts, oil seeds, dried fruits
and their products
Insect
disinfestation
0.25 1.0
Reduction of
microbial load
1.5 5.0
Classes of Food Products and Dose Limits for
Radiation Processing
30

31. Class 4 Fish, aquaculture, seafood and related
products
Elimination of
pathogenic
organisms
1.0 7.0
Shelf life
extension
1.0 3.0
Class 5 Meat and meat products including poultry
and eggs
Elimination of
pathogenic
organisms
1.0 7.0
Shelf life
extension
1.0 3.0
Class 6 Dry vegetables, seasonings, spices and
condiments, tea, coffee, cocoa, dry herbs
Microbial
decontamination
6.0 14.0
Insect
disinfestation
0.3 1.0
Class 7 Dried foods of animal origin and their
products
Elimination of
pathogenic
organisms
2.0 7.0
Class 8 Ethnic foods, space foods, ready-to-eat,
ready-to-cook/minimally processed foods
Reduction of
microbial load
2.0 10.0
Sterilization 5.0 25.0

32. CONCLUSION
With increasing demands for fresh food with longer shelf life,
EB is significantly useful for variety of food and agricultural
products.
It offers several advantages such as inhibition of germination
of crops, microbial decontamination, elimination of food
borne pathogens (Salmonella, E. coli) and also for packaging
material sterilization.
Softening the texture of fruits and vegetables, oxidation of fat
in dairy products, shorter penetration depth are some of the
disadvantages associated with this technology.
32

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