It takes only a few minutes. An entire truckload of strawberries can be treated in 20 minutes. As you can see in Figure 1, irradiation makes a big difference in the quality of strawberries. Most people think the treated ones look best. This is a good example of how irradiation keeps our food from spoiling so quickly.
Irradiation helps strawberries stay good to eat.
Irradiation can also make food safer to eat. Raw meat, especially ground meat that we use for making hamburgers, supports bacteria. When meat is handled and cooked properly, the bacteria and other microorganisms are killed, and people stay healthy. If meat is not handled and cooked properly, the microorganisms continue to grow and can make people sick. Some people become so sick from eating contaminated food that they die.