Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr Branch, Qaemshahr, Iran

2 Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Shahre Kord, Shahre Kord, Iran

Abstract

In spite of the technologies developed during the last decade, the level of food loss is still high and is reported in many countries. According to the United Nations, more than 30 per cent of the mortality rate world-wide is caused by alimentary diseases. The desire of most countries to make food safer for consumption requires better food preservation and production techniques. In this regard, irradiation is an interesting alternative to be considered Food irradiation is a process exposing food to ionizing radiations such as gamma rays emitted from the radioisotopes 60Co and 137Cs, high energy electrons and X-rays produced by machine sources. Some agricultural products are important commodities in international trade. The trade of these products is often seriously hampered by infestation of several species of insects and mites. The presence of parasites, some microorganisms, yeast and moulds are also the source of problems, sometimes directly or indirectly through toxin formation in the food products. Irradiation alone or combined with others processes can contribute to ensuring food safety to healthy and compromised consumers, satisfying quarantine requirements and controlling severe losses during transportation and commercialization. Depending on the absorbed radiation dose, various effects can be achieved resulting in reduced storage losses, extended shelf life and/or improved microbiological and parasitological safety of foods. However, hindering factors in the way of commercial implementation of the food irradiation process are politics and consumer advocacy. This paper reviews the application of irradiation for preserving some fruit and vegetables.

Keywords

Ahmed M. (2001). Disinfestations of stored grains, pulses, dried fruits and nuts, and other dried foods. In: Molins RA editor. Food Irradiation: Principles and Applications. New York: John 24 Wiley & Sons, Inc. p.77-
112.
Ahn HJ, Kim JH, Jo C, Lee CH, Byun MW. (2002b). Reduction of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines and residual nitrite in model system sausage by irradiation . Journal of Food Science; 67:1370-3.
Ahn HJ, Yook HS, Rhee MS, Lee CH, Cho YJ, Byun MW. (2002a). Application of gamma irradiation on breakdown of hazardous volatile N-nitrosamines. Journal of Food Science; 67:596-9.
Byun MW, Jo C, Lee JW. (2006). Potential applications of ionising radiation. In: Sommers CH and Fan X editor. Food Irradiation Research and Technology. Iowa: Blackwell Publishing;. p.249-262..
Byun MW, Lee JW, Yook HS, Lee KH, Kim KP. (1999). Theimprovement of colour and shelf life of ham by gamma irradiation. Journal of Food Protection; 62:11626.
Byun MW, Lee KH, Kim DH, Kim JH, Yook HS, Ahn HJ. (2000). Effects of gamma radiation on the sensory qualities, microbiological and chemical properties of salted and fermented squid. Journal of Food Protection;
63:934-9.
Diehl, J.F. (2002). Food irradiation past, present and future, Radiation Physics and Chemistry 63: 211ñ215.
Edwards JR and Fung DYC, (2006). Prevention and decontamination of Escherichia coliO157:H7 on raw beef carcasses in commercial beef abattoirs. Journal of Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology, 14(1): 1-95.
Farkas, 2014. Farkas, J., Ehlermann D.A.E. and Moh·csiFarkas Cs, Food Technologies: Food Irradiation, In Encyclopedia of Food Safety, edited by Yasmine Motarjemi, Academic Press, Waltham, Vol. 3, Pages 178- 186, ISBN 9780123786135,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-378612-8.00259-6.
Farkas, J. (2004). Food irradiation. In A. Mozumder, & Y. Hatano (Eds.),Charged particle and photon interactions with matter(pp. 785ñ812). New York: Marcel Dekker.
FDA. (2004). Irradiation in the production, processing and handling of food. Federal Register, 69(246), 76844ñ 76847.
IFT. (1998). Radiation preservation of foods. A scientific status summary by the Institute of Food Technologists' Expert Panel on Food Safety and Nutrition. J. Food Tech. Vol 52(1):55-62.
International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation (ICGFI), (1999).Facts about food irradiation.
Jakabi M, Gelli DS, ( 2003) Torre JCMD Rodas MAB, Franco BDGM, Destro MT,. Inactivation by ionising radiation of Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Infantis, and Vibrio parahaemolyticusin oysters (Crassostrea brasiliana). Journal of Food Protection; 66(6): 1025-9.
Kim JH, Anh HJ, Kim DH, Jo C, Yook HS, Park HJ. (2003) Irradiation effects on biogenic amines in Korean fermented soybean paste during fermentation. Journal of Food Science; 68:80-4.
Lee JW, Kim JH, Yook HS, Kang KO, Lee WY, Hwang HJ. (2001) Effects of gamma radiation on the allergenicity and antigenicity properties of milk proteins. Journal of Food Protection; 64:272-6.
Lee JW, Yook HS, Lee KH, Kim JH, Byun MW. (2000). Conformational changes of myosine by gamma irradiation. Radiation Physics and Chemistry; 58:271-7.
Molins,R. A. (2001). Introduction. In R. A. Molins (Ed.),Food irradiation Principles and applications(pp. 1e21). New York: Wiley Interscience.
Niemira BA and Fan X. (2006). Low-dose irradiation of fresh and fresh-cut produce: Safety, sensory, and shelf life. In: Sommers CH and Fan X editor. Food Irradiation Research and Technology. Iowa: Blackwell Publishing;.
p.169-84.
Peter B. R, (2014). Food irradiation Is safe: Half A century of studies Radiation Physics and Chemistry, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2014.05.016.
Talbot EA, Gagnon ER and Greenblatt J (2006). Common ground for the control of Multidrug-resistant Salmonellain ground beef. Clinical Infectious Diseases; 42(10):1455-62.
Thomas P. (2001a). Irradiation of fruits and vegetables. In: Molins RA editor. Food Irradiation: Principles and Applications. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.;. p.213- 40.
Thomas P. (2001b). Irradiation of tuber and bulb crops. In: Molins RA editor. Food Irradiation: Principles and Applications. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.;. p.241- 272.
World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (1988).Food irradiation: A technique for preserving and improving the safety of food. Geneva: World Health Organization.