Scientific Opinion on the Standards and Regulations of Irradiated Food

Abstract

Our markets and economies become more global and it is very much essential that food products must fulfill high standards of quality and safety to trade across borders. Food irradiation is one of them and it is a powerful food processing technology for controlling spoilage and reducing food-borne pathogens. International standards and regulations for food irradiation covering food safety and quality, labeling, plant protection and environment, packaging issue, dosimetry, facility management, nuclear safety and security, consumer behavior and so on established by the national and international organization in the world. International trade in irradiated foods increasing with wider acceptance of this technology by the consumer. Nowadays, more than 60 countries accepting and trading irradiated foods or food ingredients or food products. This paper focusing on irradiated food with consumer acceptance and standards and regulation of irradiated food as well as international trade issues.

Control of Foodborne Biological Hazards by Ionizing Radiations

“…There are several ways to describe the agri-food applications of ionizing treatments; the most common is based on the dose applied [ 96 ]. Different levels of ionizing radiations are authorized for different food materials ( Table 14 ).…”

Effects of cobalt-sourced γ-irradiation on the meat quality and storage stability of crayfishes (Procambarus clarkii)

“…Different food raw materials have to adopt different levels of irradiation dose to retain freshness (Prakash, 2016;Rahman et al, 2018). A dose of 2-10 kGy is recommended for aquatic products and meat products to ensure the shelf life of the food and not to affect its nutritional properties (Yao et al, 2022).…”

Foodborne Viruses and Innovative Non-Thermal Food-Processing Technologies

“…Although irradiation of food products technology is approved in approximately 60 countries, the commercial use is limited to quite few countries in Asia and North America [89]. National regulations on food irradiation vary from country to country [87]. In the USA, the FDA is authorized for permitting the use of irradiation in food [46].…”

“…Food irradiation is a method that inactivates microorganisms in foods by using ionizing radiation from gamma rays (from the radionuclides 60 Co or 137 Cs), electron beams (up to 10 MeV), or X-rays (up to 5 MeV) [ 45 ]. Several international authorities reported that the irradiation technology is a safe and effective treatment for foods that can improve food safety and reduce economic losses from food spoilage [ 87 ].…”