SCIE 1P51 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Food Irradiation, Irradiation, Trichinosis
22 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
The process of exposing food to controlled levels of ionizing radiation to kill harmful bacteria, pests or parasites or to preserve its freshness. The process of food irradiation is often called cold pasteurization, because it kills harmful bacteria without heat. Will say on label: irradiated to kill microbes. Radiation - sources are coming from side products (reactors) 1990 mit experiments - to kill insects and larvae. 1920 usa and france - trichinosis parasites in pork. 1943-1968 military - stable meat in canned products for rations and use in space. 1980 who approved for use on food stuff. Radiation causes breaks in dna (interferes with cells) to take out parasites and bugs. Using x-rays and electron beans (energy to kill off parasites) Gamma rays - less extensive than electron beams - goes through steel, need led. Cobalt 60 - used in early food radiators, radioactive forms (radiation comes off and eventually goes back to regular cobalt, no longer radioactive)
