What is Food Irradiation
Food irradiation is the process of exposing foodstuffs to ionizing radiation , energy that is transmitted to the food without direct contact capable of stripping electrons from the food. This treatment is used to preserve food , reduce the risk of food borne illness, prevent the spread of invasive pests , and delay or eliminate sprouting or ripening . The
radiation can be emitted by a radioactive substance or generated electrically. Irradiated food does not become radioactive. Food irradiation is permitted by over 60 countries, with about 500,000 metric tons of foodstuffs annually processed worldwide.
Is Irradiated Food Is Safe
1. Irradiation damages the quality of food. Irradiation damages food by breaking up molecules and creating free radicals. The free radicals kill some bacteria, but they also bounce around in the food, damage vitamins and enzymes, and combine with existing chemicals (like
pesticides) in the food to form new chemicals, called unique radiolytic products (URPs). Some of these URPs are known toxins (benzene,
formaldehyde, lipid peroxides) and some are unique to irradiated foods. Scientists have not studied the long-term effect of these new chemicals in our diet.
Therefore, we cannot assume they are safe. Irradiated foods can lose 5%-80% of many vitamins (A, C,E, K and B complex). The amount of loss depends on the dose of irradiation and the length of storage time.
2. Irradiation may change the make up of food , increasing the level of chemicals such as benzene that is associated with cancer.
3. Irradiation doesn't provide clean food. Because irradiation doesn't kill all the bacteria in a food, the ones that survive are by definition radiation-resistant. These bacteria will multiply and eventually work their way back to the 'animal factories'. Soon thereafter, the bacteria
that contaminate the meat will no longer be killed by currently approved doses of irradiation. The technology will no longer be usable, while stronger bacteria contaminate our food supply.
4. Animals have reacted negatively to irradiated foods. Research that dates back over 60 years has shown that animals who have consumed irradiated foods on a regular basis have suffered from numerous health consequences. Rare cancers, abnormalities in their chromosomes, and
even premature death have been shown to occur.
0 comments:
Post a Comment