Hospitals have used irradiation for many years to sterilize food for cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems. Some perishable food taken into space by astronauts is irradiated because the food must be guaranteed free of disease-causing organisms. It also reduces spoilage. Like freezing, canning, and drying, irradiation can also extend the shelf life of perishable food products. For example, irradiated strawberries stay unspoiled in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks versus only 3 to 5 days for untreated berries.
Irradiated food is safe to eat.
The FDA has evaluated the safety of irradiation over the last 50 years and found it to be safe. Food irradiation has been approved in 37 countries for more than 40 food products. The process has been endorsed by the United Nation s World Health Organization, Codex Alimentarius Commission, American Medical Association, and many others. At a food irradiation plant that uses gamma radiation, food is irradiated in an area that is surrounded by concrete walls at least 6-feet thick which keep any rays from escaping. The radiation source, usually Cobalt 60, is held in a resting position in a pool of water.