Irradiation of Foods

Raju Ahmmed
Assistant Professor
DUET, Gazipur
 What is food irradiation?

• Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to controlled levels of

ionizing radiation to kill harmful bacteria, pests, or parasites, or to
preserve its freshness. It is also called cold pasteurization as it kills
harmful bacteria without heat.
• Food irradiation is a physical process of subjecting foods to short wave
radiation energy in order to preserve them by sterilization, disinfestation
or disinfection.
• Irradiation is considered a more effective and appropriate technology to
destroy food borne pathogens as compared to heat or chemical
preservation.
 Mode of Action
• Radiation, whether ionizing or nonionizing (i.e., a photon of energy or an electron),
inactivates microorganisms by damaging a critical element in the cell, most often the
genetic material.
• Damage to the genetic material occurs as a result of a direct collision between the
radiation energy and the genetic material, or as a result of the radiation ionizing an
adjacent molecule, which in turn reacts with the genetic material. In most cells, the
adjacent molecule is usually water
• A photon of energy or an electron randomly strikes the genetic material of the cell and
causes a lesion in the DNA. The lesion can be a break in a single strand of the DNA
• Irradiation results in a variety of changes in living cells based on the dosage. For
example- high doses kill microbes/ insects;
• Low doses destroy some of the enzymes that lead to fruit ripening, thereby, delaying it
and it also interfere with cell division, thereby limiting/ preventing the reproduction of
microbes, insects, parasites, etc.
 Radiation Dose
• The radiation dose (level of treatment) is defined as the quantity of energy absorb
during exposure. It is expressed in the form of gray or kilo gray(kGy).
• One gray represents one joule of energy absorb per kilogram of irradiated
product, and the energy absorbed depends on the mass, density and thickness of
food.
• The FAO/IAEA/ WHO Expert Committee on Food Irradiation concluded in its
report of 1981: “the irradiation of any food commodity up to an overall average
dose of 10 kGy presents no toxicological hazard” and further: “irradiation of
foods up to an overall average dose of 10 kGy introduces no special nutritional or
microbiological problems.” (WHO, 1981)
1 Gy (Gray) = 100 rad (radiation absorbed dose)
1 Kilogray (kGy) = 1000 Gy
 Purpose of Irradiation
 Prevention of Foodborne Illness: irradiation can be used to effectively eliminate
organisms that cause foodborne illness, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E.
coli). Depending on the dose, some or all of the organisms, microorganisms,
bacteria, and viruses present are destroyed, slowed down, or rendered incapable
of reproduction.
 Preservation: irradiation can be used to destroy or inactivate organisms that cause
spoilage and decomposition and extend the shelf life of foods.
 Control of Insects: irradiation can be used to destroy insects in or on tropical
fruits imported into the United States. Irradiation also decreases the need for
other pest control practices that may harm the fruit.
 Delay of Sprouting and Ripening: irradiation can be used to inhibit sprouting
(e.g., potatoes) and delay ripening of fruit to increase longevity.
Food items approved for radiation preservation under PFA
Rules, 1955 and FSSA regulations, 2011
Name of food Purpose Dose (kGy)
Minimum Maximum
Onion Sprout inhibition 0.03 0.09
Potato • Make Effective Presentations 0.06 0.15
Ginger, garlic and shallots (Small 0.03 0.15
onion)

Mango
• Using Awesome BackgroundsDisinfestation 0.25 0.75
Rice
• Engage your Audience
Semolina (sooji, rawa), wheat atta
0.25
0.25
1.00
1.0
and maida
• Capture Audience Attention
Raisin, figs and dried dates 0.25 0.75
Meat and meat products including Shelf-life extension and pathogen 2.5 4
chicken control

Spices Microbial decontamination 6 14

Fresh sea foods Shelf-life extension and pathogen 1.0 3.0
Frozen sea foods control 4.0 6.0
Dried sea foods Disinfestation 0.25 1.0
Pulses
 Applications of Radiation Processing in Food
Dose level Dose Applications in food
Low dose Up to 1 kGy Sprout inhibition in bulbs and tubers 0.03 - 0.15 kGy

Delay of fruit ripening 0.25 - 0.75 kGy

Insect disinfestation including quarantine 0.25 - 1 kGy
treatment and elimination of food borne
parasites
Medium dose 1-10 kGy Reduction of spoilage microbes to improve shelf- 1.5 - 3 kGy
life of meat, poultry and seafoods under
refrigeration
Elimination of pathogenic microbes in fresh and 3 - 7 kGy
frozen meat, poultry and seafoods
Reducing number of microorganisms in spices to 10 kGy
improve hygienic quality
High dose Above 10 kGy Sterilization of packaged meat, poultry and their 25 - 70 kGy
products which are shelf-stable without
refrigeration
Sterilization of hospital diets 25 - 70 kGy
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Food Irradiation?

Advantages
• Radiation processing does not change texture and freshness of food, unlike heat. In
fact, it is difficult to distinguish between irradiated and non-irradiated food on the
basis of color, flavor, taste, aroma or appearance.
• Radiation processing does not affect significantly nutritional value, flavor, texture
and appearance of food.
• Radiation cannot induce any radioactivity in food and does not leave any harmful
or toxic radioactive residues on foods as is the case with chemical fumigants.
• It is a very effective method due to its highly penetrating nature of the radiation
energy and can be used on packed food commodities.
• Prepackaged foods can be made sterile thus improving shelf-life.
• The radiation processing facilities are environment friendly and are safe to workers
and public around
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Food Irradiation?

Limitations
• Radiation processing cannot be applied to all kinds of foods.
• Radiation processing cannot make a bad or spoiled food look good i.e. it is not a
magic wand.
• It cannot destroy already present pesticides and toxins in foods.
• Compliance of a particular food commodity to radiation processing has to be
tested first in a laboratory.
• Only those foods for which specific benefits are achieved by applying appropriate
doses and those duly permitted under the PFA Rules, (1955) and now FSSA
regulations (2011) can be processed by radiation.
 Types and Sources of Irradiation
1) Ionizing radiation
• Ionizing radiation is transmitted by high-energy particles (alpha, protons, electrons,
and neutrons) or electromagnetic waves (X-rays and gamma rays).
• Only electromagnetic radiation (X-rays and gamma rays) and electron-beam
radiation are the two forms of ionizing radiations applied on food among the various
existing forms of ionizing radiation.
Gamma Rays
• Come from the spontaneous disintegration of radionuclides.
• High penetrating power
• Cobalt-60 (1.17 and 1.33 MeV) : produced from cobalt-59
• Caesium- 137 (0.662 MeV) : a spent fuel from nuclear reactors
• Nuclear Waste
• High efficiency
 Types and Sources of Irradiation
Electron Beams
• Stream of high-energy electrons propelled from an electron gun (maximum energy 10
MeV).
• No Waste, In-line equipment
• Low penetrating power
• High efficiency and throughput
• Power cooling needed
• Technically complex
X-rays
• beam of accelerated electrons is directed at a thin plate of gold (or other metal),
producing a stream of X-rays exiting from the other side (5 Mev)
• No Waste, In-line equipment, Good Penetration
• Low efficiency and high throughput
 Types and Sources of Irradiation
2) Nonionizing radiation
• This type of radiation does not have sufficient energy to break molecular bonds or
remove electrons from atoms; in other words, perform ionization.
• The types of frequencies characterized as nonionizing are ultraviolet, infrared,
radiofrequency, laser, microwave, and visible light.
• However, the use of nonionizing radiation has low interest as a food preservation
method, in contrast to ionizing radiations.
Microwave radiation
• Electromagnetic energy in the microwave region (300 MHz–300 GHz)
• Microwave radiation does not carry enough energy to ionize food molecules or to
generate free radicals
• Penetrates superficially in the foods, and the depth of penetration ranges from 2 to
4 cm
 Types and Sources of Irradiation
• The products do not show nonenzymatic darkening and surface crust formation,
which might be advantageous in some applications
• Used for improving microbiological quality and extending shelf life
• Currently, microwave energy has been applied in the pharmaceutical industry,
and in drying, thawing and sterilization processes in the food industry.
Ultraviolet radiation
• The UV-light occupies a wide wavelength range in the nonionizing region of the
electromagnetic spectrum, between X-rays (100 nm) and visible light (400 nm)
• The wavelength of UV-light is divided into three bands—UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C.
The long (UV-A, 400–320 nm) and middle (UV-B, 320–280 nm) wavelengths are
present in sunlight and have some germicidal value.
 Types and Sources of Irradiation
• However, the short wavelengths or UV-C (280–100 nm) have high germicidal
capacity and do not naturally exist, having to be produced by the conversion of
electric energy
• The equipment used in the UV method has a low maintenance cost, besides being
considered an “eco-friendly” technology that eliminates the need to use many
chemical treatments, while is able to guarantee high levels of security
• Offers several advantages
– it does not produce by-products that could change the characteristics of the
food
– does not generate chemical residues
– it is a cold process, dry, simple, effective, and
– low cost in relation to other sterilization processes, besides not generating any
type of ionizing radiation
 Types and Sources of Irradiation
• UV-light has been applied in-
– Water purification and has been used in beverage industries
– In industries, it has been applied in final cleaning, in the rinsing water of CIP (Clean-in-
Place) systems and
– In the disinfection of packaging surfaces and storage tanks
 Nutritional Quality of Irradiated Foods
Effects on Protein
• The amino acid chains can be altered in the presence of water, due to electron transfer
• Low doses: may cause molecular uncoiling, coagulation, unfolding, and even molecular cleavage
and splitting of amino acids
• At 10 kGy radiation, overall increase in total free amino acids was observed mainly due to the rise
in the levels of glycine, valine, methionine, lysine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine
• Affects the functional properties of proteins
Egg
• loss of viscosity in the white
• off-flavors in the yolk
Milk
• off-flavors
• increase in rennet coagulation time
• reduced heat stability
 Nutritional Quality of Irradiated Foods
Effects on Carbohydrates
• Among the existing macronutrients, the carbohydrates are less sensitive to
radiation
• Break high-molecular-weight carbohydrates into smaller units
• Softening of fruits and vegetables through breakdown of cell wall materials, such as
pectin
• Sugars may be hydrolyzed or oxidized
• Irradiation of wheat at 0.2–10 kGy increase in initial total reducing sugars and
generation of bread flavor and aroma
• Irradiation of pure carbohydrates produced degradation products, which have
mutagenic and cytotoxic effects.
• However, these undesirable effects were produced using very high dose of
irradiation
 Nutritional Quality of Irradiated Foods
Effect on Vitamins
• The extent of vitamin C, E, and K destruction depends on the dosage used
• Thiamine is very unstable to irradiation.
• The losses are low with low dose
• Ascorbic acid in solution is quite unstable to irradiation but in fruits and
vegetables seems quite stable at low doses of treatment
• Vitamins (antioxidant activity), such as A, B 12, C, E, K, and thiamine, are degraded
when irradiation is carried out in the presence of oxygen
• The fat-soluble vitamins in descending order of sensitivity to gamma radiation are
Vitamin E > Vitamin A > Vitamin D > Vitamin K.
• order of sensitivity of water-soluble vitamins is thiamine > ascorbic acid >
pyridoxine > riboflavin > cobalamin > nicotinic acid
 Nutritional Quality of Irradiated Foods
Effect on Enzymes
• Enzymes in foods must be inactivated prior to irradiation because it is much more
resistant to radiation than microorganisms
• Complete inactivation of enzymes requires about 5–10 times the dose required for
the destruction of microorganisms
• The D values of enzyme can be 50 kGy and almost four D values would be
required for complete destruction
• Irradiated foods will be unstable during storage due to their susceptibility to
enzymatic attack than nonirradiated foods
Effect on Food Allergens
• Food processing methods using radiation, ionizing, and nonionizing can be used
to reduce the potential of food allergenicity by formation of protein aggregation,
protein crosslinking, and/or amino acid sequence alteration
 Why irradiate food products?
• Approximately 25% of all food products are lost after harvesting due to insects,
vermin, and spoilage.
• Currently, a significant number of chemicals are used on food products for
preserving/preventing insect losses.
• In roots and tubers, sprouting can be a major cause of losses.
• In developing countries where handling, transportation, and storage conditions
are less adequate.
• In addition, foodborne diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria result in deaths
each year and 24 million cases of illness annually in the United States alone.
• Irradiation has the potential to significantly reduce both food production losses
and foodborne illness.
 Why was food irradiation approved by the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) ?

• Because of the seriousness of the food safety issue and the lack of adequate control
measures to ensure 100% bacteria free food, irradiation is seen as an additional tool
that can be used for improving food safety.
• In particular, E. coli, salmonella, and a number of other pathogenic bacteria are
sensitive to irradiation.
• Approved doses for meat and poultry can reduce salmonella and E. coli populations
from 99.9% to 99.999%.
• Hundreds of studies found no health-related issues from consuming irradiated food at
levels less than 10 kGy.
• Ionizing radiation can also be used to produce sterile, shelf-stable products. Irradiation
has been demonstrated to produce no harmful effects at levels up to and above 60kGy.
• High levels of irradiation have already been approved for foods for NASA's Space
Program and for immune compromised hospital patients.
 How Will the Consumer Know That
Food is Irradiated?
• Retail food products are required to display the radura symbol in a green color:

• Food processors may also add additional information explaining why irradiation
was used such as "treated with irradiation to inhibit spoilage" or “treated with
irradiation instead of chemicals to control insect infestation”.
 Is irradiated food safe?
• Based on all the scientific information available there is no greater health risk from
irradiated food than non-irradiated food.
• Irradiated foods are not radioactive.
• No scientific studies have shown irradiated foods causes cancer.
• No food is 100% safe. Proper sanitation, handling, and preparation are needed for any
food product.
• In some instances, irradiated foods may be safer and may be preferred over
nonirradiated foods because of the reduced microbial populations; no need for
fumigants for quarantine treatment of imported products, and increased shelflife.
• Foods can also be packaged and then irradiated, thus reducing the potential sources of
contamination.
• However, once the package is opened it once again susceptible to microorganism
contamination.