Food irradiation is a technique that exposes food to controlled doses of ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays, x-rays, or electron beams, to eliminate microorganisms, bacteria and insects that cause food spoilage and foodborne illness. Irradiation can increase the shelf life of foods by slowing or preventing spoilage, while maintaining food quality and safety. It is approved by regulatory agencies worldwide and over 50 countries irradiate foods. The process does not make food radioactive but kills pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella to reduce foodborne illness without altering the taste or nutritional value of food.

1. FOOD IRRADIATION
Presented by ,
Hashmi S.Aamer Sohel
2016T12M
Submitted to,
Dr .A.R.Sawate
HOD, Dept.FOOD ENGINEERING
CFT,VNMKV,PBN

2. Ionizing Radiation
Gamma Rays (bulk foods on shipping pallets)
X Rays (deep penetration, requires shield)
Electron Beam Radiation (shallow penetration)
•This Radiation Kills & Deactivated Microorganisms.
• Food that has been irradiated does not mean that it is
radioactive
•New commercial technology to eliminate disease-causing germs.
•it is preservative technique done by Exposing food to Controlled
Energy

3.  Recently Ne“ The cumulative evidence from over four decades
of research — carried out in laboratories in the United States,
Europe and other countries worldwide indicates that irradiated
food is safe to eat.
General Accounting
Office, Food Irradiation:
Available Research
IndicatesThat Benefits
Outweigh Risks, 2000 Opponentsws
 Narendar Modi(PM) is setting 25 Irradiation centre in
india..according to..Dainik Bhaskar

4. •Increase Shelf Life by Slowing Ripening of Fresh Fruits and
Vegetables
• Prevent Food Poisoning By Reducing
E. Coli (Beef)
Salmonella (Poultry)
Campylobacter (Poultry)
Parasites
•Prevent Spoilage by Destroying Molds, Bacteria andYeast
•Control Insects and Parasite Infestation

5. Wheat flour
Potatoes
Pork
Fruits and vegetables
Herbs and spices
Meat
onions

6. •Approximately 25% of worldwide food production is lost
after harvesting due to insects, bacteria and spoilage†
•Economic losses of $5-17 billion annually in the US alone
•In 1999, food-borne disease was responsible for:†
•76 million illnesses
•325,000 hospitalizations
•5000 deaths
•$6-30 billion impact

7.  Largest target in organisms is water
 High energy electrons break water molecules into OH•
and O• radicals, which disrupt membranes, proteins
and nucleic acids
 DNA is also broken directly
 High energy photons interact with atoms to eject high
energy electrons
 Penetration of photons is much greater than for
electrons - implications for how material is processed

8. Radioactive materials that give off ionizing
gamma rays
 produced by Co60 or Cs137
 penetrate ~3 ft. material..
Machine sources of ionizing radiation
 Electrons Beams(10MeV)
 Low energy electrions mechanically“Accelerated”
 penetrate ~3/4 in. (1.5 in. double-sided)
 X-rays
 penetrate ~3 ft. material

9. • Emitted from spontaneous radioactive decay
• Pencils” of naturally occurring non-radioactive cobalt metal (59Co)
• Neutron bombardment in reactor to produce radioactive cobalt
(60Co)
• “Turned-off” by lowering Co source into storage pool
• Radioactive” Source „federally Regulated/ Licenced Nuclear regulatory Commission
(NRC)
• High Penetration
•ŠSource must be replaced„half life 5.2 years „12% annually to maintane strenght „cost
• Limited resources cost factor.
COBALT-60

10. Why FDA permits only Co60 or
Cs137
 Co60 has 1.3 MeV of
Energy/photon
 Cs137 has 0.67 MeV of
Energy/photon

11. • A beam of electrons is accelerated by an electron
gun
• Similar to aTV tube, accelerating electrons towards
the screen
• It can be turned on or off since it uses no radioactive
material, but…
• Electron beams can only penetrate about 1” into
material

12.  GAMMA IRRADIATION
 SOURCE CONCERNS
• WATER POOL(COBALT 60 INSOLUBLE INWATER)
• CONCRETE SHIELDING
• WORKER SAFEGUARDS (INTERLOCKS)

13.  SOPHISTICATED ELECTRICAL CONTROLS
 „MORE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED Š
 DOSAGE CONTROLLED BY CONVEYOR SPEED „
 NO IMMERSIONTO SOURCE „
 INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES Š
 CAN BE DONE ON-SITE =„N-LINEWITH OTHER OPERATIONS
Electron Gun
E-Beams

14. Ranges:
 High (sterilization): >10 kGy
 Medium (pasteurization): 1-10 kGy
 Low (disinfestation): <1 kGy
One gray of radiation is equal to one joule of energy
absorbed per kilogram of food material
In radiation processing of foods, the doses are generally
measured in kilograys
kGy =1,000 Gy
The dose of radiation is measured in the SI unit known as
the gray (Gy)

15. Irradiation Dosage, kGy Products
Bellow 1 kGy (Low)
- Inhibition of germination;
- Decontamination;
- Retardation of physiological
processes;
0.05-0.15
0.15-0.50
0.50-1.00
Potatoes, onion, garlic;
Cereals, vegetables, fish;
Fresh vegetables and fruits
Between 1 to10 kGy (Medium)
- Prolonging the storage time;
- Elimination of pathogenic
microorganisms;
- Improve of overall technological
process;
1.00-3.00
1.00-7.00
2.00-7.00
Fish, strawberries;
Fresh and frozen sea products
and meat (chicken);
Increase of grape juice,
dehydration of vegetables
Between 10 to 50 kGy (strong)
- Industrial sterilization;
- Disposal of some unwanted
substances.
30-50
10-50
Meat (birds, sea products),
ready-to-cook food;
Spices and herbs

16. Item Dose Date
Pork 1 kGy July, 1985
Spices 30 kGy April, 1986
Dried Vegetable Seasonings 1 kGy April, 1986
Fresh Fruits &Vegetables 1 kGy April, 1986
Enzymes 10 kGy April, 1986
Herbs 30 kGy April, 1986
Poultry 3.0 kGy September, 1992 (FDA 1990)
Red meat 4.5 kGy (fresh)
7.0 kGy (frozen)
January, 2000 (FDA 1997)
Shell eggs 3.0 kGy July, 2000

18.  Radiation damages DNA of organisms
 if the damage is not automatically repaired the organism
will be unable to replicate itself
 Chance of DNA damage related to size of DNA
 irradiation more effective on bacteria than viruses

19. Most food is made up of dead cells
 DNA damage is irrelevant
living cells cause sprouting and spoilage
• DNA damage delays spoiling and prevents
sprouting
• longer shelf-life

20. Nutritional effects
macronutrients - proteins, carbohydrates, fats -
unaffected
micronutrients - vitamins - some reduction
▪ comparable to other processing or storage techniques
including pasteurization, canning, or even cold storage
No change in taste

21. Over 30 yrs of experience
• 100+ medical sterilization plants
• medical radiation treatment centers
• bone marrow transplant centers
No public exposure to radiation
 Independent regulators:
• gamma rays: NRC
• X-rays & e-beams: FDA
 Four decades of experience with about 40U.S.
irradiators has produced a relatively clean safety record.

22.  Severe accidents are not possible
• electron beam and x-ray sources can be easily
turned off
• gamma ray sources cannot blow up
 The facility itself cannot become radioactive
 no radioactive waste
• used Co-60 gamma sources can be
recycled/regenerated

23.  Eliminates vegetative cells of:
 Escherichia coli O157:H7
 Salmonella
 Listeria monocytogenes
 Campylobacter jejuni
 Others
Disease-causing germs are reduced or eliminated
Decreased incidence of food-borne illness
Reduced spoilage in global food supply
Increased level of quality assurance in international trade of
food products

24.  It can kill many insects and pests that infest foods.
 It can delay or stop normal ripening and decay processes
so that foods can be stored for longer.
 It can kill dangerous micro organisms in food
 Can replace sterilization proccess
 Control of sprouting and germination

25.  It can only be used on a very limited range of foods.
 It is still a relatively expensive technology.
 vitamin E levels can be reduced by 25% after irradiation
and vitamin C by 5-10%.
 It is ineffective against viruses

26. Control of sprouting and germination
Shelf-life extension of perishable foods
Delaying ripening and aging of fruits and
vegetables
Destruction of parasites
Control of foodborne diseases

27.  Bhabha Atomic Research Centre which has a
Radiation Processing Plant
atVashi, Navi Mumbai.
 KRUSHAK Lasalgaon near Nashik.

28. www.google.com
Some others books and notes
Food Irradiation: Principles and Applications
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_irradiation