LUMINESCENCE TECHNIQUES TO IDENTIFY THE TREATMENT OF FOODS BY IONIZING-RADIATION

About a decade ago two luminescence techniques, thermoluminescence (TL ) and chemiluminescence (CL), were first described as methods for the detection of irradiated spices. It has now been established that the C L method can be used to screen only certain foodstuffs for irradiation . The TL method, instead, has been developed for clear identification of foods irradiated with at least 1 kGy and contaminated by minerals. The method is therefore suitable for a wide range of foodstuffs and it has been applied by laboratories for routine control. The latest find ings prove that even irradiation with very low doses used to inhibit t he sprouting of potatoes and onions can be clearly detected. In additi on to CL and TL, other luminescence techniques which were described as suitable to detect irradiated food, i. e. the photo-stimulated lumine scence and the H2O2-stimulated CL, are briefly reviewed.