ELIMINATION OF PATHOGENS OF SIGNIFICANCE IN FOOD BY LOW-DOSE IRRADIATION - A REVIEW

Food irradiation is a processing technology that has been shown to be a wholesome process by many scientific studies conducted worldwide dur ing the past 40 years. The research has been supported by the World He alth Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization, and governm ental agencies in many different countries. Industrial support also ha s been substantial. Some of the benefits ascribed to this technology i nclude improved shelf life, reduced use of chemicals as preservatives, and reduced levels of pathogens in foods. Pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Aeromonas hydrophila are c apable of growing at temperatures as low as 0 degrees C and are consid ered to pose a threat to the safety of refrigerated products. The numb er of cases of foodborne illness caused by contamination by Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. continues to increase. Researchers have been i nvestigating ways in which food safety can be improved without sacrifi cing product quality and wholesomeness. The sensitivity of these patho gens to low-dose irradiation has been studied in several food products . Survival curves have been elucidated, and some studies on the effect s of storage atmosphere, storage temperature, heating, and various tre atments in combination with irradiation have been conducted. This revi ew presents background information on this technology, with an emphasi s on the radiation sensitivity of some pathogens of importance. Sugges tions for future work in this area are also discussed.