Only a single food category is listed on the EU wide positive list for irradiation treatment: ‘dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings’. A requirement was introduced in Directive 1999/2/EC that the Commission should forward a proposal by 31 December 2000 to complete this Community positive list of foodstuffs authorised for irradiation, to be adopted through the co-decision procedu...

This European Standard specifies a screening method for foods which contain DNA. It is based on micro-gel electrophoresis of single cells or nuclei to detect DNA fragmentation presumptive to irradiation treatment [1] to [8]. The DNA Comet Assay is not radiation specific, therefore, it is recommended to confirm positive results using a standardized method to specifically prove an irradiation tre...

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a disinfection method that uses ultraviolet (UV) light at sufficiently short wavelength to kill microorganisms. It is used in a variety of applications, such as food, air and water purification. UV has been a known mutagen at the cellular level for more than one-hundred years. The 1903 Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to Niels Finsen for his use ...

This European Standard specifies a microbiological screening method for the detection of irradiation treatment of herbs and spices, using the combined direct epifluorescent filter technique (DEFT) and aerobic plate count (APC). The DEFT/APC technique is not radiation specific, therefore, it is recommended to confirm positive results using a standardised method (e.g. EN 1788, prEN 13751) to spec...

Background: Electron beam irradiation is one of the effective ways to control food-borne pathogens. We evaluated the effect of electron beam irradiation on survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Thyphimurium in minced camel meat during refrigerated storage. Methods: The meat samples were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica serovar Thyphimurium and then...

Laboratory animal models are an important part of test design. Certain conditions such as microbial contamination in diets of these models could affect the results of experiments. One of the most important routes that predispose to contamination is generated through feeding of laboratory animals. This study aimed to show the effect of gamma irradiation in reducing bacteria concentrations,...