Ionizing Radiation

Exposing the food to high energy irradiation is named sometimes cold sterilization; radiation types include X-rays, UV and even gamma rays, emitted from radioactive sources, as Cobalt-60.

The sterilization effect by radiation relates to damages to the DNA of organisms, including insects. It is even considered an alternative treatment to pesticides. Another so called benefit is dramatically decreasing the natural sprouting or ripening (“aging“), thus lengthening the shelf-life of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Irradiation has opened the markets for previously prohibited items, such as mangoes from India and more tropical fresh fruits from Hawaii that can be found in supermarkets today. Another “adventage” of ionizing radiation is since it breaks down tissues it can increase juice yields.

Since the processed product still has a long way to go (both literally- in term of distance and in terms of period of time until consumption) very strict standards of hygiene must be met. This has a high environmental cost since powerful cleaning and disinfection products are both toxic and water soluble.