NURHASHIMAH BINTI DAHLAN
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FOOD IRRADIATION
Good enough or bad enough?
According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of United States 2018, food irradiation can be defined as the application of ionizing radiation to the food to improves the safety and enable the food to sustain for a long period by limiting and destroying the microorganism and insects that may interfere with the food. Food irradiation has become a concern among the public whether the process is safe for food consumption. Upon this issue, the FDA implements the rules and regulations sources of irradiation that is safe for consumption.
FOOD IRRADIATION IN MALAYSIA
In Malaysia, there are a few sources of irradiation that is commonly used such as gamma rays. Gamma rays are the most convenient and practical method that involves the usage of the isotope, neither Cobalt-60 nor Cesium-137. Gamma-ray is often used to irradiate bulk food on shipping palettes such as grains and cereal. Apart from that, an electronic beam. Electronic beam allows the electron to shower the food product and usually used to irradiate small and thin products such as phytosanitary treatment of packaged fruits and vegetable pasteurization of packaged meats, spices, seafood, and food ingredients. Lastly, X-ray accelerator. X-ray is often similar to gamma-ray, only differ in the thickness of the ray can irradiate: X-ray can irradiate food boxes up to 15 inches thick or more.
BENEFITS OF FOOD IRRADIATION
There are various mandatory reasons to irradiate food. One of the reason is to prevent foodborne illness. Foodborne illness is the sickness obtained from consuming food contaminated with bacteria, parasites, viruses and many more. For example Salmonella in chicken and Clostridium botulinum in canned food. Next is to preserve the food. It will destroy or inactive organism that led to food spoilage thus increasing the shelf life of food. Some organism is heat resistance and the heat treatments are insufficient to kill the organism fully thus explaining the need of irradiation. For example Bacillus cereus. Next is to control the insects especially in grains and fruits. Insects such as fruit fly, maggot and beetle tend to destroy the fruits by lay egg in the fruits and eating the early grown shoot thus reducing the production of the fruits. Irradiation also decreases the use of pesticide or herbicide to control the insects. Apart from that, irradiation delays the sprouting of fruits and vegetables. In food trade involving import and export, it is important to increase the longevity and maintain the good shape of the products during a long time of shipping. Some commons fruits and vegetables that undergo food irradiation are potatoes, apples, oranges, strawberries, mangoes and papayas. Besides, food irradiation plays an important role as sterilization. Sterilized food can be stored up to years in room temperature without the need for refrigeration. Sterilized food is beneficial to the vulnerable population such as terminally ill patients, patients undergo radiotherapy and even during nutrition emergency.
It can be concluded that food irradiation brings many benefits rather than undefined myths standing on it such as destroy the nutrients and alter the chemistry of the food. Food irradiation is very important, especially in the food industry. Maintaining a good quality of food and extend the shelf lives is a crucial element in the food industry.
