Food Irradiation - Problems and Promises

It has been stated that food irradiation represents the most significant discovery in food processing since Nicholas Appert invented canning in 1810. Certainly it is a process with great future potential; it is attractive because it works without heating the product, it is effective within sealed containers as well as for bulk usage, and it does not leave chemical residues on the treated food. Of course, no one process can be expected of food. Ionizing radiation can be used effectively to solve many of these problems, but the process is no panacea to cure the world's food problems. Unfortunately, early ill-founded claims about irradiation led to expectations which have proved beyond the reasonable capabilities of the process. Nevertheless, the number of foods that have been successfully treated, and the broad range of effects that can be achieved by radiation processing is to solve all problems relating to preservation impressive (Table I).