COM 0212.433 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

4 s H I CA HAWAII ISLAND CONTRACTORS' ASSOCIATION 494 C KALANIKOA STREET • HILO, HAWAII 96720 -PHONE (808) 935-1316 FAX (808) 934-7779 radiation, nutrient losses are either not measurable or, if they can be measured, are not significant. At the higher doses used to extend shelf-life or control harmful bacteria, nutritional losses are less than or about the same as cooking and freezing. 3. Does irradiation make food radioactive? No. Radioactivity in foods can occur by two routes: contamination of foods with radioactive substances or by penetration of energy into the nuclei of the atoms that make up the food. The irradiation process involves passing food through an irradiation field; however, the food itself never contacts a radioactive substance. Also, the ionizing radiation used by irradiators is not strong enough to disintegrate the nucleus of even one atom of a food molecule. 4. Does eating irradiated food present long-te.rm health risks? No. Federal government and other scientists reviewed several hundred studies on the effects of food irradiation before reaching conclusions about the general safety of the treatment. In order to make recommendations specifically about poultry irradiation, U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists reviewed findings form additional relevant studies. Independent scientific committees in Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom and Canada also have reaffirmed the safety of food irradiation. In addition, food irradiation has received official international endorsement from the World Health Organizations and the International Atomic Energy Agency. 5. Does irradiation destroy all bacteria, resulting in a sterile produce? Irradiation, at the levels normally used in food processing, destroys most, but hot necessarily every single microorganism present; it does not sterilize the food. As with any food, consumers must take appropriate precautions, such as refrigeration and proper handling. and cooking, to make sure that potentially harmful organisms do not present a problem. After treatment, the surviving disease-causing and food spoilage organisms may start to multiply again if the food is not properly handled. The disease-causing organisms in irradiated food are just as dangerous, but not more so, as the same organisms in non-irradiated food. One concern has been that irradiation does not kill the bacteria that causes botulism. However, studies also have shown that in both irradiated and non-irradiated food, spoilage organisms will 2