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| CSA Tech Bulletin - Spring 2003 |
CSA Home |
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...Industry's Answer to a Safer Food Supply
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| Food Irradiation is a well-researched
method of treating food in order to make it safer to eat and
longer lasting. This bulletin has been sponsored by the Canadian
Spice Association to help clarify some of the mystery of Food
Irradiation and to help you understand its relationship to food
quality. |
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What is
Food Irradiation?
Food Irradiation is a physical means of food treatment comparable
to heat pasteurization, canning or freezing. The process involves
exposing the food for a specified time to high energy gamma
rays. The source of this energy may be electronic beam, x-ray,
or more commonly, cobalt60.
The energy from these rays is sufficient to cause ionization;
which is defined as any form of radiation with sufficient
energy to dislodge electrons to create ions, but not enough
to induce radioactivity in the product. It is this ionizing
energy that destroys harmful bacteria.
Many people ask, "Will the food become radioactive or
be altered when treated with an irradiation process?".
and some have even made the mistake of ignoring virtually
forty years of food science research that shows conclusively
that:
Irradiated products
do not become radioactive after treatment.
Irradiation can kill foodborne bacteria, molds, yeasts, insects
and parasitic organisms without the use of toxic chemicals
or elevated temperatures.
Irradiation will not introduce changes in the composition
of food products or affect in a negative way the nutritional
value of the treated foods. Irradiation is the cleanest and
safest method of food processing available to mankind today...
yet it is the least used... Why?
| FACT: The U.S. Council for Agricultural
Science and Technology has estimated that foodborne diseases
caused by pathogenic bacteria such as Campylobacter escherichia
coli 0157:h7, Listeria monocyiogenes, Salmonella and Staphyloccus
aureus may cause as many as 9,000 deaths and up to 33
million causes of diarreal disease (food poisoning) each
year, in the United States. The annual economic losses
in the USA associated with this foodborne disease may
be as high as $5 to $6 billion! Although the Science Council
of Canada do not track these statistics, it accepts the
probability that Canada's costs are proportional to the
population ratio of approximately 11% compared to the
United States. |
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Food
Items Currently Irradiated in Countries Around the
World
Citrus
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Strawberries
Papayas
Mangoes
Mushrooms
Avocados
Spices
Tea
Beans
Legumes
Various flours
Chicken
Frog legs
Pork
Sausages
Shrimp
Various fish
Pickle products
Various grains
Rice
Yeasts
Cherries
Raspberries
Grapes
Currants
Dates
Cocoa beans
Apricots
Pears
Asparagus
Minced meats |
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International Regulatory
Agencies & Associations that have Approved or Recommend the
Use of Irradiation:
Health Canada (includes Dept. of Agriculture)
Science Council of Canada
Canadian & US Institute of Food Tech. (CIFST, IFT)
World Health Organization (WHO)
United Nations Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO)
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA)
American Medical Association (AMA)
American Meat Institute (AMI)
Mayo Clinic
Codex Alimentarius Commission
American Spice Trade Association (ASTA)
American Council on Science & Health (USACSH)
US Council for Agricultural Science & Technology (CAST) |
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Frequently Asked Questions
| Q. Why is food Irradiated? |
Q. Are irradiated foods
still nutritious? |
Q. Does Irradiation make
food radioactive? |
A. Food irradiation
destroys harmful bacteria that cause illnesses and kills insect
pests on produce, eliminating the need for chemical fumigation
after harvest. Irradiation also helps food keep longer and
in better condition in warehouses and homes.
As with any food, consumers must take appropriate precautions,
such as refrigeration and proper handling and cooking, to
make sure that potentially harmful organisms do not present
a problem. |
A. Yes. Irradiated foods
are wholesome and nutritious. All known methods of food processing
- and even storing food at room temperature for a few hours
after harvesting - can lower the content of some nutrients,
such as vitamins. At low doses of radiation, nutrient losses
are either not measurable or, if they can be measured, are not
significant. At the higher doses used to extend shelf-life or
control harmful bacteria, nutritional losses are less than or
about the same as cooking and freezing. |
A. No. Radioactivity in
foods can occur by two routes: contamination of foods with radioactive
substances or by penetration of energy into the nuclei of the
atoms that make up the food. The irradiation process involves
passing food through an irradiation field; however, the food
itself never contacts a radioactive substance. Also, the ionizing
radiation used by irradiators is not strong enough to disintegrate
the nucleus of even one atom of a food molecule. |
| Q. Does eating irradiated food present
long-term health risks? |
Q. For what other purposes is irradiation
technology now used in Canada? |
Q. Are irradiated foods on the market
now? |
A. No. Federal government
and other scientists reviewed several hundred studies on the
effects of food irradiation before reaching conclusions about
the general safety of the treatment. independent scientific
committees in Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom and Canada also
have reaffirmed the safety of food irradiation. in addition,
food irradiation has received official international endorsement
from the World Health Organization and the International Atomic
Energy Agency. |
A. Irradiation is used
for many purposes including: performing security checks on hand
luggage at airports, making tires more durable, sterilizing
manure for gardens, making non-stick cookware coatings, purifying
wool, sterilizing medical products like surgical gloves, and
destroying bacteria in cosmetics. |
A. Irradiation of food
has been approved in 38 countries for more than 40 products.
The largest marketers of irradiated food are Belgium (since
1981), and France (since 1986). each country irradiates about
10,000 tons of food per year. The Netherlands started irradiation
in 1978 and today processes about 20,000 tons per year. |
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Historic Perspective
Irradiation of potatoes to control sprouting
and extend shelf-life was first approved for use in Canada on June
14, 1963. Since then, thirty-eight other countries have approved
irradiation as a safe and clean process for the treatment of a wide
range of food substances.
Today in North America, approximately 60 million pounds of spices,
herbs and dried seasonings are treated annually.
Irradiation of spices, pork, poultry, fruit, vegetables, seafood,
flour for human use and animal feed are all approved in the United
States. Petitions to permit the treatment of frozen and unfrozen
red meat are pending. In Canada, the list of approved food substances
is much shorter and limited to potatoes, vegetables, spices, herbs
and dried seasonings. Before other items can be treated, a written
petition must be prepared and submitted to the Health Protection
Branch of Health & Welfare Canada. This lengthy process is why
food irradiation does not have a broader use in Canada to date. |
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Quick Facts
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Irradiation safely reduces
existing bacteria & molds |
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No chemical used - no chemical residue |
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Irradiated food is eaten by astronauts |
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Irradiated
food is eaten in hospitals by patients with immune response
deficiencies |
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38 countries around the
world currently use food irradiation |
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500,000 tons of food was
irradiated last year worldwide |
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Irradiation is used to
sterilize the majority of medical disposable devices |
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Food irradiation has been the subject
of intense research for more than 40 years |
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The Radura Insert
As a consumer, we should look for this new
symbol of quality in food processing... the Radura insert... and
expect higher quality standards from the food processing industry.
The Canadian Spice Association endorses the current methods of
treatment, including irradiation, ethylene oxide, steam, and methyl
bromide (where government regulations permit) to reduce disease
causing bacteria and fungi on foods and spices.
Canadian law requires all food products intended for human use
that have been irradiated to be labeled with this flower-like radura
logo (above). For situations where processing of whole foods is
not obvious, the label must also read "Treated with Irradiation".
Bulk or retail spices, herbs or ingredients that have been treated
must be labeled with the Radura logo. However, when these ingredients
are added to mixtures, processed meats and finished products, and
do not exceed 10% by weight or volume, the labelling requirement
no longer applies. |
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Process Centres
There are two gamma irradiators currently
operating in Canada.
Isomedix is Canada's main commercial service centre and is located
in Whitby, Ontario. Nordion, a research and training facility, is
located in Ville de Laval, Quebec. For further information on food
irradiation, please contact either of the following:
Nordion International
Inc.
447 March Road
Kanata, ON K2K 1X8
Tel: (613) 592-2790
Fax: (613) 592-6937
Mr. Joe Borsa, or
Mr. Peter Kunstadt, P.Eng. |
Isomedix
Corporation
184 Crown Court
Whitby, ON L1N 7B1
Tel: (905) 433-1202
Fax: (905) 433-2419
Mr. Bruce Zagrodney, M.B.A., P.Eng., or
Mr. Dave Pearse |
For copies of this brochure, please forward written requests to:
The Canadian Spice Association
438 University Avenue, Suite 1618
Toronto, ON M5G 2K8
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