Zapping the food supply

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00963402.1990.11459875· OSTI ID:5914100

Louria, D B ^[1]

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1. New Jersey Medical School, Newark (USA)

The idea of exposing food to gamma radiation is over 30 years old, and in 1963 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began to permit the irradiation of wheat. Over the years, a few more foodstuffs such as spices and tea were added, but in 1984 the FDA started to approve irradiation of a much broader list of products which now includes meat, poultry, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Simultaneously the FDA has increased the levels of radiation that may be used. The FDA's recent willingness to allow most of the food supply to be irradiated - and at high doses - has triggered an acrimonious debate. The amount of radiation involved is substantial, with intensities millions of times greater than that of an ordinary chest X-ray. The announced goal of promoters of food irradiation is to obtain general approval for the use of up to one million rad. Irradiation does not make food radioactive, nor has alleged radioactivity been at issue in the debate. But there is concern that foods processed by irradiation may contain radiolytic products that could have toxic effects. 12 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5914100
• Journal Information: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; (USA), Vol. 46:7; ISSN 0096-5243
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
FOOD
IRRADIATION
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
EVALUATION
RADIOLYSIS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
553004* - Agriculture & Food Technology- Food Protection & Preservation- (1987-)
290600 - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy