Dear Cecil,
Your answer to above was about 19 yrs before (1995) wherein you talked about adoption of technology maybe in 20 yrs. Almost 19 yrs have passed. Any update?
With regards
Tariq Shafiq
New Delhi, India
Link to the article in question?
Food irradiation has not achieved much use, with a few exceptions, most of which are “invisible.” Bulk spices imported and packaged here are routinely irradiated, not so much for preservation as sterilization. (OK, you can argue that that is preservation. :rolleyes:)
Medical supplies can be irradiated for the same purpose.
Some fruits and vegetable are irradiated, often by a mobile unit right in the field.
Meats can be preserved by irradiation, but the process is difficult; too little, of course, doesn’t sterilize sufficiently, just as too little time in the autoclave won’t preserve canned goods.
With irradiation, too much exposure can affect the taste, and much too much can deteriorate the nutrients. The line between sterile and taste effects can be fine, and varies with fat content.
Bottom line is that, in most cases, use of irradiation for meat preservation is problematic for “everyday” meat preservation, but well suited for purposes like emergencies.
One usage that should probably become routine (IMNSHO) is irradiation of ground beef. The process of production makes contamination control difficult (witness the number of E. coli alerts) and the fat content is controlled, so quality issues are workable. Routine irradiation of ground beef would eliminate a lot of problems.