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Irradiated food: would you eat that?

Of all the ways to prevent food spoilage and foodborne illness, gamma irradiation may be the most unappetizing. Although gamma irradiation is a proven method of eliminating potentially harmful microbes from food, the public has yet to buy in. Most of their concerns, however, stem from misinformation and a poor understanding of the basic principles of radiation.

The most common method of irradiation is to expose food to cobalt-60 or cesium-137 by passing it through a radiation chamber on a conveyor belt. The food does not directly contact the radioactive material and does not become radioactive itself. Thus, there is no risk for exposure to radioactive material through eating gamma-irradiated foods. Additionally, irradiated foods are not significantly altered in terms of nutritional quality, aside from the loss of certain vitamins, which is also exacerbated by extended storage. Alterations in taste or smell may occur in irradiated foods with high fat content, such as fatty meats and dairy products, but this effect can be minimized by using lower doses of radiation at colder temperatures.

In the United States, the CDC, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have deemed irradiation safe and effective for various types of meats, poultry, shellfish, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs with shells, and spices and seasonings. Gamma irradiation of foods has also been approved for use in many other countries, including France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Israel, Russia, China, Thailand, Belgium, Australia, and South Africa. To help ameliorate consumer concern and assist with education efforts, irradiated foods are now clearly labeled and marked with the international irradiation symbol, called the “radura” ( [link] ). Consumer acceptance seems to be rising, as indicated by several recent studies. AM Johnson et al. “Consumer Acceptance of Electron-Beam Irradiated Ready-to-Eat Poultry Meats.” Food Processing Preservation , 28 no. 4 (2004):302–319.

A) Peaches on a conveyor belt. B) The symbol for gamma-irradiated. A stylized flower (circle above 2 leaf shapes) inside a circle with 4 clear lines going through the circle near the top.
(a) Foods are exposed to gamma radiation by passage on a conveyor belt through a radiation chamber. (b) Gamma-irradiated foods must be clearly labeled and display the irradiation symbol, known as the “radura.” (credit a, b: modification of work by U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Sonication

The use of high-frequency ultrasound waves to disrupt cell structures is called sonication . Application of ultrasound waves causes rapid changes in pressure within the intracellular liquid; this leads to cavitation , the formation of bubbles inside the cell, which can disrupt cell structures and eventually cause the cell to lyse or collapse. Sonication is useful in the laboratory for efficiently lysing cells to release their contents for further research; outside the laboratory, sonication is used for cleaning surgical instruments, lenses, and a variety of other objects such as coins, tools, and musical instruments.

Filtration

Filtration is a method of physically separating microbes from samples. Air is commonly filtered through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter s ( [link] ). HEPA filters have effective pore sizes of 0.3 µm, small enough to capture bacterial cells, endospores, and many viruses, as air passes through these filters, nearly sterilizing the air on the other side of the filter. HEPA filters have a variety of applications and are used widely in clinical settings, in cars and airplanes, and even in the home. For example, they may be found in vacuum cleaners, heating and air-conditioning systems, and air purifiers.

Questions & Answers

how does Neisseria cause meningitis
Nyibol Reply
what is microbiologist
Muhammad Reply
what is errata
Muhammad
is the branch of biology that deals with the study of microorganisms.
Ntefuni Reply
What is microbiology
Mercy Reply
studies of microbes
Louisiaste
when we takee the specimen which lumbar,spin,
Ziyad Reply
How bacteria create energy to survive?
Muhamad Reply
Bacteria doesn't produce energy they are dependent upon their substrate in case of lack of nutrients they are able to make spores which helps them to sustain in harsh environments
_Adnan
But not all bacteria make spores, l mean Eukaryotic cells have Mitochondria which acts as powerhouse for them, since bacteria don't have it, what is the substitution for it?
Muhamad
they make spores
Louisiaste
what is sporadic nd endemic, epidemic
Aminu Reply
the significance of food webs for disease transmission
Abreham
food webs brings about an infection as an individual depends on number of diseased foods or carriers dully.
Mark
explain assimilatory nitrate reduction
Esinniobiwa Reply
Assimilatory nitrate reduction is a process that occurs in some microorganisms, such as bacteria and archaea, in which nitrate (NO3-) is reduced to nitrite (NO2-), and then further reduced to ammonia (NH3).
Elkana
This process is called assimilatory nitrate reduction because the nitrogen that is produced is incorporated in the cells of microorganisms where it can be used in the synthesis of amino acids and other nitrogen products
Elkana
Examples of thermophilic organisms
Shu Reply
Give Examples of thermophilic organisms
Shu
advantages of normal Flora to the host
Micheal Reply
Prevent foreign microbes to the host
Abubakar
they provide healthier benefits to their hosts
ayesha
They are friends to host only when Host immune system is strong and become enemies when the host immune system is weakened . very bad relationship!
Mark
what is cell
faisal Reply
cell is the smallest unit of life
Fauziya
cell is the smallest unit of life
Akanni
ok
Innocent
cell is the structural and functional unit of life
Hasan
is the fundamental units of Life
Musa
what are emergency diseases
Micheal Reply
There are nothing like emergency disease but there are some common medical emergency which can occur simultaneously like Bleeding,heart attack,Breathing difficulties,severe pain heart stock.Hope you will get my point .Have a nice day ❣️
_Adnan
define infection ,prevention and control
Innocent
I think infection prevention and control is the avoidance of all things we do that gives out break of infections and promotion of health practices that promote life
Lubega
Heyy Lubega hussein where are u from?
_Adnan
en français
Adama
which site have a normal flora
ESTHER Reply
Many sites of the body have it Skin Nasal cavity Oral cavity Gastro intestinal tract
Safaa
skin
Asiina
skin,Oral,Nasal,GIt
Sadik
How can Commensal can Bacteria change into pathogen?
Sadik
How can Commensal Bacteria change into pathogen?
Sadik
all
Tesfaye
by fussion
Asiina
what are the advantages of normal Flora to the host
Micheal
what are the ways of control and prevention of nosocomial infection in the hospital
Micheal
what is inflammation
Shelly Reply
part of a tissue or an organ being wounded or bruised.
Wilfred
what term is used to name and classify microorganisms?
Micheal Reply
Binomial nomenclature
adeolu

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Source:  OpenStax, Microbiology. OpenStax CNX. Nov 01, 2016 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col12087/1.4
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