Irradiation carried out under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions is a practical, widely applicable form of food processing considered safe based on comprehensive evidence available that can minimize the risk of food poisoning, monitor the spoilage of food, and prolong the shelf life of food without detriment to health and with minimal impact on nutritional or sensory quality.
Food irradiation is the method of exposing food to a carefully regulated amount of energy in high-speed particles or electromagnetic radiation. These frequently occur in nature and are included from the sun among the energy that enters Earth. While the knowledge of how to generate them emerged many years ago from nuclear energy studies, modern methods are straightforward and reliable.
List of Advantages of Food Irradiation
Enhances Food Safety
To minimize risks related to foodborne diseases caused by microorganisms such as Salmonella, irradiation techniques are used. Food irradiation can kill bacteria and can be used to sterilize foods with a compromised immune system in patients, such as those who have AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy.
Immune Deficiency Benefits
Those suffering from an immune system-depressing disease may become ill from the most common food pollutants that can occur from medicines or the disease itself. Food irradiation can kill such pollutants.
It Kills Dangerous Organisms
The world’s best food handling practices are not a guarantee that all hazardous species are stopped and eliminated. Ninety per cent of these species are obliterated by food irradiation.
A Proactive Measure against Insects
Moths and similar insects love grains, as most of us know. It is not going to stop them from storing them in your house. The irradiation of food makes the items less enticing to insects. This makes insects less likely to leave eggs in the grains, causing several health issues.
Food Irradiation Does Not Leave Traces Of Radioactive Material
With this technology, you do not need to worry about traces of radioactive materials in your food. Although it may be fun to glow in the dark, the result will not happen when you eat irradiated objects. That means that we can use this technology to minimize or remove the need to control the pests that disturb those crops with chemicals. Just as an airport scanner will not make your belongings radioactive, you do not need to worry about what you ingest because of this food preservation process.
Control Ripening and Sprouting Times
Food irradiation can delay fruit and vegetable ripening so that each product’s longevity can increase its ability for use. This gain may also prevent sprouting behaviours that occur with potatoes and onions. It is an advantage that lets families increase the value of their food purchases without running several grocery stores each month. For instance, mango irradiation is an effective method of preserving fruits. Most products will last for at least a week with proper storage strategies, and often, much longer.
The benefits of food irradiation are important because understanding what you are putting in your body is important. The FDA does not require individual ingredients to be classified as irradiated, so it is imperative that you stock, treat, and prepare foods under the presumption that this procedure was not used.