Irradiation of pork for the purpose of killing Trichinella spiralis has been approved in the U.S. Irradiation of grains can be used to eliminate insects and has the advantage over chemical sterilants that there are no residues. This may also be a disadvantage because irradiation does not have any effect on subsequent invasions. Thus, it would be essential to take measures to prevent reinfestation if irradiation is to be an effective treatment. Low dose treatments may be used to eliminate microbial hazards like Salmonella on uncooked chicken. There is considerable interest in using low doses to reduce spoilage of fruits and vegetables by molds, but this is not being utilized to any great extent.
Many people are worried that irradiated food is radioactive.
This is not the case. As mentioned previously, the absorption of gamma rays can create free radicals which are highly reactive. These in turn can react with other food components and create new chemical species. Many foods have been studied and the new compounds formed from irradiation are very similar or identical to those formed during frying. In the U.S. the future of irradiated foods clearly rests on several issues which are only indirectly related to science.