Irradiation of Foods

For this activity, I was assigned to look up the cons of food irradiation and then discuss it with others that had researched the pros.

The Cons:

• does not kill all pathogens at recommended doses
• can’t stop something like the Norwalk virus from seafood
• can’t stop viruses from fresh foods
• customers prefer authentically fresh food
• not all effects of irradiation are known
• breaks up molecules and creates free radicals
• possible trace amounts of radioactivity
• no long term effects are known
• gamma rays or x-rays have to be used for larger foods

After the debate, both sides agreed that some food can be irradiated, but not all. And even if it is irradiated, people should have the choice whether they will purchase these products or those that were naturally prepared.