Irradiated food: validity of extrapolating wholesomeness data

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976 · J. Food Sci.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1976.tb00757_41_4.x· OSTI ID:7187459

Taub, I A; Angelini, P; Merritt, C Jr

Criteria are considered for validly extrapolating the conclusions reached on the wholesomeness of an irradiated food receiving high doses to the same food receiving a lower dose. A consideration first is made of the possible chemical mechanisms that could give rise to different functional dependences of radiolytic products on dose. It is shown that such products should increase linearly with dose and the ratio of products should be constant throughout the dose range considered. The assumption, generally accepted in pharmacology, then is made that if any adverse effects related to the food are discerned in the test animals, then the intensity of these effects would increase with the concentration of radiolytic products in the food. Lastly, the need to compare data from animal studies with foods irradiated to several doses against chemical evidence obtained over a comparable dose range is considered. It is concluded that if the products depend linearly on dose and if feeding studies indicate no adverse effects, then an extrapolation to lower doses is clearly valid. This approach is illustrated for irradiated codfish. The formation of selected volatile products in samples receiving between 0.1 and 3 Mrads was examined, and their concentrations were found to increase linearly at least up to 1 Mrad. These data were compared with results from animal feeding studies establishing the wholesomeness of codfish and haddock irradiated to 0.2, 0.6 and 2.8 Mrads. It is stated, therefore, that if ocean fish, currently under consideration for onboard processing, were irradiated to 0.1 Mrad, it would be correspondingly wholesome.

• Research Organization: Army Natick Development Center, MA
• OSTI ID: 7187459
• Journal Information: J. Food Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Food Sci.; (United States) Vol. 41:4; ISSN JFDSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560132* -- Radiation Effects on Microorganisms-- Food Preservation-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
FOOD
IRRADIATION
PRESERVATION
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOLYSIS
RADIOPRESERVATION
STANDARDS
TESTING
WHOLESOMENESS