Radiation Thesis Statement

To treat a bulky product such as an entire sack of spices, one would choose gamma rays or X-rays.The energy (otherwise known as ionising radiation) penetrates the food and produces free radicals from the material through which it passes.Currently regulations on food irradiation in the European Union are not fully harmonised.

To treat a bulky product such as an entire sack of spices, one would choose gamma rays or X-rays.The energy (otherwise known as ionising radiation) penetrates the food and produces free radicals from the material through which it passes.Currently regulations on food irradiation in the European Union are not fully harmonised.

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The choice of irradiation method will depend on the material needing to be treated.

Thus, to treat the surface or a thin layer of a food, one would usually choose beta particles (i.e. These are easy to produce electronically but they do not have deep penetrating power.

Likewise, it is effective against insects and moulds, which, if uncontrolled, can destroy grain stocks.

Irradiation is thus an effective means of controlling all biological processes, which would render the food supply unpalatable or unsafe (Suresh , 2005; Miller, 2005).

These occur widely in nature and are included among the energy reaching earth all the time from the sun.

While the knowledge of how to produce them originated from research into nuclear energy many years ago, modern methods are available which are straightforward and safe.

The dose of radiation received is commonly measured in grays.

One gray corresponds to the absorption of one joule of energy in a mass of one kilogram (1Gy = 1J/kg.) The gray has superseded the older unit - the rad (1Gy = 100 rad).

However, this initial positive list has only one food category – dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings.

Some countries, such as Belgium, France, The Netherlands and the UK allow other foods to be irradiated, whereas other countries, such as Denmark, Germany and Luxembourg remain opposed.