Food Irradiation

874 Words2 Pages

Radioactive isotopes are atoms with unstable nuclei that can either occur naturally or by scientists in labs. Radioisotopes have a huge and important effect on the technologies that provide us with food, water and good health. Scientists, doctors and even people everywhere have always struggled with food poisoning and food spoilage because of the insects, fungi or bacteria that can cause human disease or cause food to spoil. Food irradiation is the process in which food is made food safer and more resistant to spoilage allowing it to have a longer shelf life and to be in better condition since it kills disease-causing organisms and slows or eliminates those that cause spoilage leading to it becoming able to stay fresher for a longer period of time. The Radioisotopes that are most commonly used for irradiating foods are cobalt-60 and cesium-137. Food Irradiation has several advantages and some disadvantages which both have their cultural, health and economic effects (Uses of Radioisotopes). In the process of food irradiation, food is exposed to the gamma rays or x-ray rays emitted from one of the two radioisotopes cobalt-60 or cesium-137 (The Food Irradiation Process). Food Irradiation has existed since the 1950s but has been more widely used in recent years. In Asia, specifically China there are 3 large gamma irradiators which in year 2005 got 140,000 tons of food irradiated which is a huge increase from the 80,000 tons irradiated in year 2001. And in India there are two demonstration facilities that use cobalt-60 one processing 30 tons per day and the other 10 tons per day, and even though India mostly uses cobalt-60 there are some beam plants being planned as well. As for in the USA, there are 50 irradiation facilities over... ... middle of paper ... ... • Fruit Being Irradiated. Digital image. Chemistry at Duke. Web. 24 Sept. 2011. . • Irradiated Foods. Digital image. Yellow Canary Alert. Web. 24 Sept. 2011. . • Percentage of Respondents before and after Info 1+2. Online image. Choices. Web. 08 Oct. 2011. . • "Radioactive Isotope." Kids.Net.Au - Encyclopedia. Web. 21 Sept. 2011. . • Radura. Digital image. UW Food Irradiation Education Group. Web. 24 Sept. 2011. . • "Uses of Radioisotopes." Mr. Kent's Chemistry Regents Help. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. .

Open Document