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Food Safety Engineering pp 471–492Cite as

Gamma Ray, Electron Beam, and X-ray Irradiation

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Part of the book series: Food Engineering Series ((FSES))

Abstract

Ionizing irradiation is a non-thermal processing technology that has been used to improve microbial safety and reduce food loss. This chapter reviews the fundamentals and current status of food irradiation technology. Topics covered include a comparison of three types of radiation technologies (gamma ray, electron beam and X-ray) in terms of advantages and disadvantages, dose unit and dosimetry, irradiation facilities, optimization to achieve desirable benefits, interaction of radiation with food components, mechanisms for microbial inactivation, factors affecting irradiation efficacy of inactivating human pathogens, impact on product quality, and labeling and consumer acceptance of irradiated foods.

Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA, USA

    Xuetong Fan & Brendan A. Niemira

Authors
  1. Xuetong Fan
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  2. Brendan A. Niemira
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Correspondence to Xuetong Fan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Ali Demirci

  2. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA

    Hao Feng

  3. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA

    Kathiravan Krishnamurthy

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Fan, X., Niemira, B.A. (2020). Gamma Ray, Electron Beam, and X-ray Irradiation. In: Demirci, A., Feng, H., Krishnamurthy, K. (eds) Food Safety Engineering. Food Engineering Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42660-6_18

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