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Food Irradiation Helping Improve Food Safety

Food Irradiation Helping Improve Food Safety. The UW Food Irradiation Education Group. Why Food Irradiation? Food Safety. In 1999, food-borne disease was responsible for: † 76 million illnesses 325,000 hospitalizations 5000 deaths $6-30 billion impact Recent news stories.

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Food Irradiation Helping Improve Food Safety

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  1. Food IrradiationHelping Improve Food Safety The UW Food Irradiation Education Group

  2. Why Food Irradiation?Food Safety • In 1999, food-borne disease was responsible for:† • 76 million illnesses • 325,000 hospitalizations • 5000 deaths • $6-30 billion impact • Recent news stories... † According to US Center for Disease Control

  3. Why Food Irradiation?Global Food Supply • Approximately 25% of worldwide food production is lost after harvesting due to insects, bacteria and spoilage† • Economic losses of $5-17 billion annually in the US alone • In the news now…. † According to UN Food and Agriculture Organization

  4. What is Food Irradiation? • New commercial technology to eliminate disease-causing germs • Comparable to heat pasteurization • Used for decades in NASA space missions • already used for sterilization of: • medical devices, supplies and implants • wine corks and other food packaging materials • cosmetic ingredients

  5. How Does Food Irradiation Help? • food is exposed to carefully controlled amounts of radiation • radiation damages DNA of microbes and parasites • disease-causing germs are reduced • bacteria which cause spoiling are reduced • sprouting is slowed or stopped

  6. What are the Results of Food Irradiation? • When used in conjunction with proper food handling procedures: • food-borne diseases are reduced or eliminated • shelf-life is increased • the nutritional value of the food is preserved • the food does not become radioactive • dangerous substances do not appear in the foods

  7. Approval Year Food Purpose Wheat Flour Control of mold 1963 White Potatoes Inhibit sprouting 1964 Pork Kill Trichina parasite 1986 • Insect Control • Increase Shelf Life 1986 Fruit and Vegetables Herbs and Spices Sterilization 1986 1990(FDA) 1992(USDA) Poultry 1997(FDA) 1999(USDA) Meat What Foods Can Be Irradiated? Bacterial pathogen reduction

  8. All irradiated products must be marked with the “Radura” Puchasing Irradiated Food? • Irradiated meats expected to be more widely available this summer • If interested, ask your local grocery retailer

  9. Benefits of Food Irradiation • decreased incidence of food-borne illness • reduced spoilage in global food supply • increased level of quality assurance in international trade of food products

  10. Food Irradiation Facilities SOURCE HOISTS SOURCE PASS CONVEYOR UNLOADING ELEVATOR IRRADIATION ROOM CONTROL CONSOLE LOADING ELEVATOR JS8900 UNIT CARRIER IRRADIATOR

  11. Three different energy sourceselectron beams • a beam of electrons is accelerated by an electron gun • similar to a TV tube, accelerating electrons towards the screen • it can be turned on or off since it uses no radioactive material, but… • electron beams can only penetrate about 1” into material

  12. Three different energy sourcesx-rays • generated by directing an electron beam at a thin metal plate • similar to medical x-ray sources

  13. Three different energy sourcesgamma rays • emitted from spontaneous radioactive decay • “pencils” of naturally occurring non-radioactive cobalt metal (59Co) • neutron bombardment in reactor to produce radioactive cobalt (60Co) • “turned-off” by lowering Co source into storage pool

  14. Effects of radiationHow it kills bacteria • radiation damages DNA of organisms • if the damage is not automatically repaired the organism will be unable to replicate itself • chance of DNA damage related to size of DNA • irradiation more effective on bacteria than viruses

  15. Effects of radiationEffect on Food • most food is made up of dead cells • DNA damage is irrelevant • living cells cause sprouting and spoilage • DNA damage delays spoiling and prevents sprouting • longer shelf-life

  16. Effects of radiationSide-effects • Nutritional effects • macronutrients - proteins, carbohydrates, fats - unaffected • micronutrients - vitamins - some reduction • comparable to other processing or storage techniques including pasteurization, canning, or even cold storage • No change in taste

  17. Costs of Food Irradiation • Like any food process, irradiation will add to the cost of the food • initially 2-3¢/lb for produce, 3-5¢/lb for beef • expected to decrease as it becomes more common • Typical food irradiation plant: $3-5 million • compare to • moderately sized pasteurization plant: $2 million • small vapor-heat treatment for fruits: $1 million

  18. Safety of Irradiation Facilities • Over 30 yrs of experience • 100+ medical sterilization plants • medical radiation treatment centers • bone marrow transplant centers • No public exposure to radiation • Independent regulators: • gamma rays: NRC • X-rays & e-beams: FDA

  19. Facility Accidents and Waste • Severe accidents are not possible • electron beam and x-ray sources can be easily turned off • gamma ray sources cannot blow up • The facility itself cannot become radioactive • no radioactive waste • used Co-60 gamma sources can be recycled/regenerated

  20. Food Irradiation as Part of Comprehensive Food Safety • food irradiation is not a replacement for comprehensive food safety • in particular, food irradiation cannot reverse the spoilage process • irradiated foods need to be stored, handled and cooked in the same way as unirradiated food

  21. Benefits of Food Irradiation • disease-causing germs are reduced or eliminated • the nutritional value of the food is preserved • decreased incidence of food-borne illness • reduced spoilage in global food supply • increased level of quality assurance in international trade of food products

  22. Food Irradiation Means Safer Food The UW Food Irradiation Education Group http://uw-food-irradiation.engr.wisc.edu uw-food-irradiation@engr.wisc.edu

  23. Radiation dose • the quantity of radiation absorbed by the food • measured in Grays (Gy) • 1 Gy = 1 Joule absorbed per kilogram of food • international health and safety authorities have endorsed radiation levels for food up to 10,000 Gy (10 kGy)

  24. Approval Year Dose (kGy) Food Purpose Wheat Flour 0.2-0.5 Control of mold 1963 White Potatoes 0.05-0.15 Inhibit sprouting 1964 Pork 0.3-1.0 Kill Trichina parasite 1986 • Insect Control • Increase Shelf Life 1986 Fruit and Vegetables 1.0 Herbs and Spices 30 Sterilization 1986 1990(FDA) 1992(USDA) 3(FDA) 1.5-3(USDA) Poultry 1997(FDA) 1999(USDA) Meat 4.5 What Foods Can Be Irradiated? Bacterial pathogen reduction

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