What does irradiated food mean?

Irradiated food refers to food irradiated with a certain amount of γ-rays, X-rays or electron beams. Bacteria and parasites in food can be destroyed by radiation, so as to achieve the purpose of preservation.

Thirty-five countries in the world have approved the radiation processing standards for more than 30 kinds of foods, of which 2 1 country has entered the practical application stage. The research on radiation food in China began in the late 1950s. The Ministry of Health has approved the Interim Provisions on Radiation Processing of Food, Potatoes, Onions, Garlic, Apples, Sausages, etc., and started to try out some radiation foods.

In radiation sterilization, there is no need to classify and identify the types of contaminated microorganisms, so the task of microbial identification for so many microorganisms is very arduous.

For those microorganisms with weak radiation resistance, it is not important in radiation sterilization. Therefore, when considering the types of contaminated microorganisms, it is only necessary to determine the D 10 value of radiation-resistant bacteria, which can be used as an index of sterilization effect. Bacillus pumilus E60 1 is widely used as indicator bacteria in the world.

Compared with traditional methods, irradiation treatment of food has the following advantages: it can kill microorganisms, prevent pests and diseases, and improve quality and sanitary conditions; Extend the storage time of food and agricultural products. Some irradiated foods can remain fresh for months or years even if they are not frozen.

Strong radiation penetration, can penetrate heavy packaging, and can be sterilized without opening the packaging; Radiation treatment does not need heating, so the food sterilized by radiation is almost the same as fresh food in appearance and quality; X-ray treatment will not leave any residue, which has great advantages compared with pesticide fumigation. Radiation food operation has excellent safety and high efficiency.