The process also can control insects and parasites, reduce spoilage, and inhibit ripening and sprouting. The Food and Drug Administration has evaluated the safety of this technology over the last 40 years and has found irradiation to be safe under a variety of conditions and has approved its use for many foods. Scientific studies have shown that irradiation does not significantly reduce nutritional quality or significantly change food taste, texture or appearance. Irradiated foods do not be-come radioactive. Irradiation can produce changes in food, similar to changes caused by cooking, but in smaller amounts.
Food is packed in containers and moved by conveyer belt into a shielded room.
There the food is exposed briefly to a radiant-energy source the amount of energy depends on the food. Energy waves passing through the food break molecular bonds in the DNA of bacteria, other pathogens, and insects. These organisms die or, unable to reproduce, their numbers are held down. Food is left virtually unchanged, but the number of harmful bacteria, parasites and fungi is reduced and may be eliminated. Not widely yet.