Food Irradiation

November 2022

Food irradiation is the physical treatment of food with high-energy ionising radiation for the purpose of prolonging shelf life and prevent food-borne diseases in meat, poultry and seafood. Irradiation achieves this by destroying micro-organisms, viruses, bacteria or insects; preventing germination and sprouting of potatoes, onions and garlic and slowing down the ripening and ageing of fruit and vegetables.