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Food irradiation research papers
State your opinion of food irradiation and the reasons why you feel that way
Food irradiation research papers
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Food irradiation is a technology that improves the safety of food by killing bacteria, insects, and parasites that can cause food borne diseases. Just like pasteurizing milk and canning fruits and vegetables irradiation was created to make food safer for the common consumer. Food irradiation has many components that contribute to the successful use of the technology. One component is an element known as Cobalt-60 which is the most commonly used element in food irradiation. When used, Cobalt-60 emits ionizing radiation in the form of intense gamma rays. When Cobalt-60 is used, up to 95% of its emitted energy is available for use and it penetrates deeply when used. The gamma facilities store this cobalt-60 in stainless steel capsules in underwater …show more content…
If irradiation is used on our food it will deplete a galore of vitamins and minerals from our foods. “ Food irradiation results in major nutrient losses, partially in vitamins A,C, and E and B” (Article 3). In other words, there are many consequences of food irradiation that include nutrient losses. The process of food irradiation involves exposing the food, either packaged or in bulk to ionizing radiation. When the microbes in the food are irradiated the energy from the radiation breaks the bonds in the DNA molecules which kills the microbes that are present in the food. Moreover, if we were to use this technology, terms like empty calorie which is food that has little to no nutrients left, which includes no vitamins and no minerals will be heard a lot. The result of food irradiation is detrimental and not just for a malnourished population, but also for many other people around the world. If food irradiation is this much of a danger to our planet and our populations, allowing an increase of government spending on this technology would be ludicrous. If we were to increase government spending on this technology, there would be multiple populations in countless countries suffering from malnutrition. This technology could possibly plague our world with a surge of malnutrition, which is why this would be a deficient way of spending the government's …show more content…
If a nuclear accident was to occur in a community, it would leave countless lives in peril. “Irradiation facilities using pelletized isotopes pose risk of nuclear accidents to communities nationwide from hundreds of facilities. Unlike nuclear power plants, these facilities are small, minimally regulated, and unlikely to be secure and they require regular replenishment of cobalt or cesium isotopes entailing nationwide transportation hazards” (Article 3). In other words, irradiation facilities that use pelletized isotopes are extremely dangerous, and the facilities are also small and need cobalt-60 regularly to operate which also causes transportation hazards. Transportation hazards are created because cobalt-60 is a highly radioactive element which can kill many people who are exposed to it. Cobalt-60 is used in irradiation facilities because it is the most common radioactive substance for food irradiation. This is because cobalt-60 emits intense gamma rays when used in the facilities. Moreover, creating more of these facilities would drastically increase the risk of these nuclear accidents. If we were to spend the government's finances on food irradiation we would be asking for a nuclear accident to occur in the nation which is not something we should be wishing for. That is why government spending on food irradiation is a shortsighted thought and is not something we should be
...nce World War II to the present day, the technology of nuclear power has increased significantly in terms of energy output and safety. The energy efficiency of nuclear power is far superior to its counterpart fossil fuel and renewable energy. Compared to fossil fuels, tiny amounts of fuel used by nuclear reactors is equivalent to a large sum of coal. This is a no brainer. Why mine a ton of coal when a little uranium can be used to gain the same amount of energy? Not only is it efficient, it’s safe to use. Used fuel is packed away in storage safely, so there isn’t any chance of radiation leaking out. In the present day, nuclear power incidents haven’t been occurring lately. Advancements in technology and equipment used have made nuclear energy a very reliable and safe source of energy. With today’s energy needs, nuclear power has the ability to keep up in the race.
Michael Pollan makes arguments concerning the eating habits of the average American. Pollan suggests, in spite of our cultural norms, we should simply “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.”
The main parties who is associated with the debate are governments, experts, and the country people. These people have given out their opinions regarding the effects of nuclear ene...
Radiation has always been in everyday life even before Roentgen discovered x-ray. The mountains give off natural radiation, other forms of radiation are coal burning power plants, x-rays from a TV, and an airplane ride. The average dose from background radiation is about 360 mrem every year. There are two types of radiation, nonionizing and ionizing radiation. Examples of nonionizing radiation are microwaves and radio waves broadcasting. Ionizing radiation refers to gamma and x-rays. Ionizing radiation means that the rays are able to remove an electron from the atom then ions can be formed. The ions can cause damage when reacting with other atoms. Cells are able to be repaired if low dose are received. However, if cells get a high dose, the cells will be damaged or possibly die. If the cell is damaged permanently then it is referred to as a mutated cell.
Since the dawn of civilization, all living (and some non-living) things have needed energy. When humans discovered fire, the first form of harnessed energy, it made it easier to stay warm, prepare food, make weapons, etc. Since then, humankind has been inventing new ways to harness energy and use it to our advantage. Now-a-days, people in most nations depend extremely heavily on fossil fuels – to work, travel, regulate temperature of homes, produce food, clothing, and furniture, as well as other power industries. Not only are these fossil fuels dominating our society and creating economic vulnerability, but they also produce waste that causes a number of social and environmental concerns. The waste from these fuels leads to acid rain, smog, and climate change. It also releases sulfur dioxide as well as other air pollutants that are very harmful to the human respiratory system (Morris, 1999, p. ix). There are other alternative sustainable energy sources including solar, hydroelectric, wind, and biomass. However, the main source aside from fossil fuel is nuclear energy from controlled nuclear reactions (where nuclei of radioisotopes become stable or nonradioactive by undergoing changes) in a nuclear power plant. Nuclear power produces enormous amounts of energy to serve a community. Unfortunately, nuclear energy has its own set of problems – a big one being its waste. The spent fuel from nuclear plants is radioactive. This means that it emits radiation, or penetrating rays and particles emitted by a radioactive source. Ionizing radiation is known to cause cancer, and therefore makes anyone who lives near spent nuclear waste facilities vulnerable to this incurable disease. The disposal of nuclear waste is a global issue...
Media coverage of such cases have made the public less comfortable with the idea of moving further towards nuclear power and they only opt for reducing human activities to reduce global warming. It is true that there have been some notable disasters involving nuclear power, but compared to other power systems, nuclear power has an impressive track record. First, it is less harmful and second, it will be able to cater for the growing world population. Nuclear power produces clean energy and it delivers it at a cost that is competitive in the energy market (Patterson). According to the US Energy Information Administration, there are currently 65 such plants in the Unite States (National Research Council). They produce 19 percent of the total US energy generation.
Nutritionism and Today’s Diet Nutritionism is the ideology that the nutritional value of a food is the sum of all its individual nutrients, vitamins, and other components. In the book, “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan, he critiques scientists and government recommendations about their nutritional advice. Pollan presents a strong case pointing out the many flaws and problems that have risen over the years of following scientific studies and government related warnings on the proper amount of nutrients needed for a healthy diet. Pollan’s main point is introducing science into our food system has had more of a negative impact than a positive one, we should go back to eating more of a traditional diet. I believe food science has given us
The use of nuclear power in the mid-1980s was not a popular idea on account of all the fears that it had presented. The public seemed to have rejected it because of the fear of radiation. The Chernobyl accident in the Soviet Union in April of 1986 reinforced the fears, and gave them an international dimension (Cohen 1). Nevertheless, the public has to come to terms that one of the major requirements for sustaining human progress is an adequate source of energy. The current largest sources of energy are the combustion of coal, oil, and natural gas. Fear of radiation may push nuclear power under the carpet but another fear of the unknown is how costly is this going to be? If we as the public have to overcome the fear of radiation and costly project, we first have to understand the details of nuclear energy. The known is a lot less scary then the unknown. If we could put away all the presumptions we have about this new energy source, then maybe we can understand that this would be a good decision for use in the near future.
Radiation is one of the most dangerous and easiest way of having health effects. Radiation was first discovered by Roentgen. Hazards are the first things people need to know in order to understand what it can do to your body. It causes many health effects on everyone out in the world. It harms people in the dentistry and field and even in the medical field. Normal people out the world can also be exposed when coming into one of these offices and getting x-rays of some type.
The impact of nuclear power on the modern world has improved Various sectors of the economy and society .i.e. Food and Agriculture, Insect control, Food Preservation, Water Resources, Military, Medicine, Research and Industry. “In 1911 George de Hevesy conducted the first application of a radioisotope. At the time de Hevesy was a young Hungarian student working in Manchester with naturally radioactive materials. Not having much money he lived in modest accommodation and took his meals with his landlady. He began to suspect that some of the meals that appeared regularly might be made from leftovers from the preceding days or even weeks, but he could never be sure. To try and confirm his suspicions de Hevesy put a small amount of radioactive material into the remains of a meal. Several days later when the same dish was served again he used a simple radiation detection instrument - a gold leaf electroscope - to check if the food was radioactive. It was, and de Hevesy's suspicions were confirmed.
Each and every year millions of people become sick because of food poisoning and other food related illnesses. Many of these illnesses can easily be prevented by properly cooking and handling food in the kitchen. Unfortunately, many people around the world are unaware of the consequences that can occur from contaminated and undercooked food. It is important for every individual who is planning on making a meal in their life (virtually everyone) to understand how to properly prepare their meal.
... and nutritious experience by giving people actual experience to see, feel and taste what is nutrition about (Hegler, 2010).
New opportunities and challenges of human health are presented by the application of biotechnology to food. Biotechnology helps improve the quality and nutrition of foods consumed by people,this helps their health. Foods produced through biotechnology has been around for more than 15 years but people are still debating about how safe the food is. Biotechnology still have to plays its role by increasing agricultural productivity,especially in light of climate change. I believe that biotechnology is still going to help better th nutritional value of food. It can also assist farmers to increase their productivity so that they can feed their families and many people across the globe. The whole world should be using the food biotechnology because it has the ability to change the world,it can be to end world hunger .
To save words we not go into the basic details of these radiations but these radiations make the radioisotopes our friend or foe. These radiations revolve round the issue of their use and disposal. Interestingly, both use and disposal are issues of concern. Disposal is an issue because the waste is non-biodegradable and the harmful radiations from them could cause cancer and alter genes in the DNA etc. The use of radioactivity is by itself an issue. Is it safe to use? Where shall the nuclear power plant be located? Where will the waste go?
Food Preservation is the ways to retain the food quality in a longer times. It is to prevent the food decomposition and fermentation. Besides that, food preservation not only to prevent the food getting spoilt in a long period of time but also preserved the colour, taste and the food nutritive value. Nowadays, food preservation has become more and more important component in the food industry as the consumers expect that able to purchase those foods that are out of season or imported from other countries. Furthermore, there are few reason why food preservation is important in our daily life such as preservation foods when they are in season it may added variety choices in our meals for example smoke meats and