A Critical Review on the Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Microbiological Activity, Quality, and Safety of Food

Abstract

There is an increasing demand to guarantee the safety of the food supply due to the public's growing concerns about food safety and foodborne illnesses. It has been demonstrated that gamma irradiation is a potential technique for safely eliminating a variety of common pathogens. The extra advantage of gamma irradiation technology is that it prolongs the shelf life of irradiated food items. The irradiation process has been demonstrated to be reliable; it is widely applied to medical supplies, spices, and other products in numerous nations across the world. Convincing the public that this technology is helpful and even essential for ensuring their safety is the major task at hand. Studies on the market have revealed that while a large number of consumers are eager to buy irradiated food, a large number are not. The aim of the current paper was to highlight the significant effect of gamma irradiation on food quality and safety, in order to correct the wrong believes about gamma irradiation by large number of consumers to comply with the right scientific evidence supported by regulations and control of the Food and Drug Authority (FDA). Well-structured research papers and official documents were reviewed thoroughly to extract official updated information about the characterization and safety with versatile applications of gamma irradiation in food sector.