Benefits of irradiated food

Benefits of irradiated food

Irradiated food refer to food items that underwent the process of irradiation. ‘ In this process, various food items such as fruits, vegetables, and meat are exposed to an ionizing form of radiation such as those from gamma rays or x-rays. ‘ The process works similarly to microwaves but the major difference is that using these rays does not generate heat in the food item involved. ‘ The following are benefits of irradiated food:

1. Longer shelf life

The basic purpose of irradiation is to increase the shelf life of some food items and lower the chance of easy spoilage. ‘ With the irradiation process, there will be less food wastage because people will be able to safely consume the food item for a longer period of time.

2. Lower chance of getting ill from various bacteria or fungi

Irradiation basically gets rid of bacteria and/or fungi that may be present in food items at the time they are harvested or prepared for release to market places. ‘ The gamma and/or x-rays will serve to eliminate microorganism growth and therefore makes food safer to eat. ‘ With elimination of these bacteria or fungi, then there will also be a lower chance of getting sickness from food consumption.

3. Fewer pesticides in growing food

If food items such as fruits and vegetables are intended for irradiation, it will also translate to less pesticide usage while they are grown. ‘ Some treatment cycles for farms may be deemed unnecessary because the irradiation process can also help in eliminating various microorganisms.

4. Fewer preservatives added to food

Irradiation can also be used as an alternative to putting too many preservatives to food items such as meat. ‘ With irradiated meat, there will simply be less chemicals and substances added to them for preservation purposes.

Aside from eliminating bacteria and fungi and prolonging the shelf life of various food items, the best thing about irradiated food is that most nutrients will also be intact despite the radiation exposure.

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