A Brief Review on the Food Irradiation Process: Radiolysis of Water by Irradiation

Nowadays food irradiation process is an engrained technology for the preservation of foods and food products. It is the process of exposing food or food product to ionizing radiation such as ℽ-rays which is emitted from the radio-isotopes Cobalt-60 and Caesium-137, or electron beams and X-rays. In the food irradiation process, ionizing radiation is use to destroy the harmful biological micro-organisms in food which is recognized as a safe and well-proven process found with many beneficial applications. Based on the absorbed dose of radiation, various effects on foods and food products can be achieved: such as extended shelf-life, ameliorate the microbiological and parasitological safety of foods, reduced storage losses, etc. The most common irradiated commercial products are fruits, spices, and vegetable seasonings. Typically, the food irradiation process is applicable for fresh, dried, and frozen foods with the desire of antimicrobial treatments for spices, fruits, and dried vegetables, insect disinfestations, and control of pathogenic bacteria is in fish, meat, eggs, seafood, and fend off sprouting of potatoes and onions. Nevertheless, the usefulness of food irradiation technology still disputable because of the negative public and industry sensationalism of nuclear technology and the pre-eminence of irradiated foods. This review article is focuses on a brief review of the food irradiation process based on ionizing radiation for the safety and preservation of food and food products. Here, the mechanism of radiolysis of water by irradiation is also discussed.

Keywords: Food irradiation; Ionizing radiation; Food processing; Food safety; Nutrition