Consumption Of Irradiated Food Research Articles

Assessment of awareness on consumption of irradiated foods among Saudi population using a validated psychometric scale.

Despite the application of food irradiation for enhancing food safety, many consumers lack an understanding of its fundamental principles, often misinterpreting the information and exhibiting negative perceptions toward foods treated with ionizing radiation. This study focuses on evaluating public awareness regarding the consumption of irradiated food within Saudi Arabia, utilizing the Awareness Scale on Consumption of Irradiated Foods (ASCIF), a developed and validated tool. The ASCIF encompasses four constructs: concepts, awareness, labeling, and safety concerning irradiated foods. The average scores for each subscale and the aggregate ASCIF score were determined, with the analysis incorporating both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The study's sample of 712 individuals predominantly consisted of females (53.37%), individuals aged 18-30 years (55.62%), those holding a bachelor's degree or higher (70.79%), participants earning less than SAR 5000 (42.70%), students (37.08%), and singles (66.85%). The overall mean scores for each category were as follows: safety (2.87 ± 0.92), concept (3.18 ± 0.79), label (3.44 ± 1.15), and awareness (2.68 ± 1.03). The overall mean score for the ASCIF was 3.02 ± 0.81, a diverse spectrum of awareness, with the majority of participants (62.92%) exhibiting intermediate awareness, while 17.98% displayed poor awareness, and 19.10% demonstrated high awareness. Logistic regression analysis identified age and educational attainment as significant predictors of awareness levels (p < 0.001). These results highlight a moderate understanding of irradiated foods among the Saudi population, with significant variations based on demographic factors. The study's conclusion emphasizes the necessity for tailored educational initiatives that cater to specific demographic groups to enhance understanding and awareness of irradiated food technologies in Saudi Arabia. This study thereby provides valuable insights for policymakers and health educators in designing effective communication strategies about irradiated foods.

Consumption of irradiated foods: strawberries case study

Consumption of irradiated foods: strawberries case study

Construction and validation of a psychometric scale to measure awareness on consumption of irradiated foods.

Although food irradiation has been used to ensure food safety, most consumers are unaware of the basic concepts of irradiation, misinterpreting information and demonstrating a negative attitude toward food items treated with ionizing radiation. This research is aimed at developing a tool to assess the awareness on the consumption of irradiated food. The sample was composed by employees from different social classes and school levels of Brazilian universities, who reflect the end-users of the irradiated foods, representative of the views of lay consumers. The total number of respondents was 614. In order to assess the Awareness Scale on Consumption of Irradiated Foods (ASCIF), an instrument has been developed and submitted to semantic tests and judge’s validation. The instrument, that included 32 items, contemplated four construct factors: concepts (6 items), awareness (10 items), labeling (7 items) and safety of Irradiated foods (9 items). The data were collected by electronic means, through the site <https://pt.surveymonkey.com/>. By using exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) 4 factors have been found. They summarize the 31 items included. These factors account for 64.32% of the variance of the items and the internal consistency of the factors has been deemed good. An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) was conducted to evaluate the factor structure of the instrument. The proposed instrument has been found to meet consistency criteria as an efficient tool for indicating assessing potential challenges and opportunities for the irradiated food markets.

Characterization of peeled and unpeeled almond (Prunus amygdalus) flour after electron beam processing

Flours of unpeeled and peeled almond seeds have been irradiated with ionising radiation at 1.5kGy dose by means of 5MeV energy electron beam. The effects of ionising radiation have been studied concerning microbiological parameters, such as total mesophilic counts, mould, yeast, enterobacters, coliform bacteria, as well as physicochemical parameters, free fatty acid, peroxide number, humidity, activity water, aflatoxin, pesticides, and sensory evaluation of attributes regarding only appearance, olfactory and rheological aspects in accordance with the prescription of Italian laws about the consumption of irradiated food. The results, compared with non-irradiated samples from the same supply, show a sharp decrease of pathogen loads while no significant variations of physicochemical parameters and sensory descriptors have been noticed. These results indicate that irradiation at 1.5kGy dose, lower than values usually reported in literature, seems to be still a suitable sanitation treatment to extend the shelf-life of this kind of foodstuff while maintaining its nutritional, safe and sensory characteristics.

Radiation on the dining table

Zero tolerance to bacterial contamination means considering the acceptance of "radiation on the table". The process of food irradiation has been extensively studied, nevertheless its use remains a matter of some controversy. Despite unanimous agreement within the medical community of the safety of this procedure, occasional concerns arise from the consumers. A common consumer misconception is that irradiation may turn the food "radioactive". A significant number of scientific studies on the topic were analyzed. We found no scientific study demonstrating that consumption of irradiated food might pose a risk to consumers. All studies conclude that food irradiation at the appropriate dose required to reduce contamination is safe and does not affect its nutritional value. In order to emphasize the issue we discuss the potential benefit vs harm of irradiation of food contaminated with E. coli 0157: H7. The association of this bacteria with severe disease and death has been clearly established in contrast with the lack of a demonstrated risk due to meat irradiation. We conclude that the risks of food irradiation remains "unknown" simply because, after four decades of research, none has been identified. In contrast to the risks of acquiring a food transmitted bacterial disease, the risk of irradiation is negligible.

La radiación a la mesa

Zero tolerance to bacterial contamination means considering the acceptance of "radiation on the table". The process of food irradiation has been extensively studied, nevertheless its use remains a matter of some controversy. Despite unanimous agreement within the medical community of the safety of this procedure, occasional concerns arise from the consumers. A common consumer misconception is that irradiation may turn the food "radioactive". A significant number of scientific studies on the topic were analyzed. We found no scientific study demonstrating that consumption of irradiated food might pose a risk to consumers. All studies conclude that food irradiation at the appropriate dose required to reduce contamination is safe and does not affect its nutritional value. In order to emphasize the issue we discuss the potential benefit vs harm of irradiation of food contaminated with E. coli 0157: H7. The association of this bacteria with severe disease and death has been clearly established in contrast with the lack of a demonstrated risk due to meat irradiation. We conclude that the risks of food irradiation remains "unknown" simply because, after four decades of research, none has been identified. In contrast to the risks of acquiring a food transmitted bacterial disease, the risk of irradiation is negligible.

Food irradiation

Food irradiation has become a matter of topical interest also in the Federal Republic of Germany following applications for exemptions concerning irradiation tests of spices. After risks to human health by irradiation doses up to a level sufficient for product pasteurization were excluded, irradiation now offers a method suitable primarily for the disinfestation of fruit and decontamination of frozen and dried food. Codex Alimentarius standards which refer also to supervision and dosimetry have been established; they should be adopted as national law. However, in the majority of cases where individual countries including EC member-countries so far permitted food irradiation, these standards were not yet used. Approval irradiation technique for industrial use is available. Several industrial food irradiation plants, partly working also on a contractual basis, are already in operation in various countries. Consumer response still is largely unknown; since irradiated food is labelled, consumption of irradiated food will be decided upon by consumers.

Tests on Drosophila for the Production of Mutations by Irradiated Medium or Irradiated DNA

(1) Irradiated medium. Ionizing radiations are likely to find increasing use in industry for prolonging the useful storage-life of food. Before the method is declared safe and becomes widely acceptable, however, it is necessary to ensure that consumption of irradiated food is free from genetic ill-effects. Mutation rates have been shown to increase when bacteria are grown in ultra-violet-irradiated substrate1. Bacterial medium irradiated with ionizing radiations, however, has not been tested for its mutagenic effects. Information about the indirect genetic effects of ionizing radiations in higher organisms is scanty. Investigations of the cytological effects in root meristems of plants grown in X- and γ-ray irradiated potato mash2 and fruit juices3 have shown that the aberration frequencies in treated roots were strikingly higher than in corresponding controls. In order to test for similar effects in animals, these studies were extended to Drosophila. It was found that the rate of sex-linked lethals was increased slightly, but significantly, in the progeny of flies raised on irradiated food4. In view of the obvious importance of this observation it was thought necessary to re-test it, scoring both autosomal and sex-linked lethals. The former were included because it has been shown5,6 that feeding of unirradiated calf thymus DNA has a very specific and pronounced mutagenic effect on chromosome II of Drosophila, while the X-chromosome remains largely refractory to this treatment. Induced dominant lethality was also investigated in view of the chromosome breakage observed in plant material grown on irradiated medium. The results of these investigations are reported in this communication.

Long-term rat feeding studies on irradiated chicken stew and irradiated cabbage

The following irradiated foods were evaluated for wholesomeness by feeding to four successive generations of albino rats. Chicken stew (0, 2.79, and 5.58 megarads) and raw cabbage (0, 279, and 558 kilorads) were combined, each at 35% of the final diet solids, with other nonirradiated ingredients to provide a nutritionally adequate ration. The experimental design involved nine different combinations of radiation levels. Before preparing diets, all irradiated chicken stew was stored at 75°F, control stew at 5°F for 3–6 months, and both irradiated and control cabbage at 35–40°F for 2–4 weeks. Soon after weaning, parent-generation rats were then given the diets for 104 weeks; and, succeeding generations were fed for shorter periods. Growth of parent-generation rats was not influenced by the irradiated foods tested. Also, this was generally true of second- and third-generation animals. No apparent effects were observed on the reproductive performance of three generations of rats. Similarly, longevity of parent-generation animals was not impaired by consumption of irradiated foods. The character, extent or severity of pathologic and hematologic changes were similar in test and control animals. Rats fed irradiated diets for 19 days postweaning manifested the following significant effects on duodenal enzymes which were seen only in animals receiving both foods treated with the maximal radiation doses. Decreased tissue levels were observed for alkaline phosphatase in both sexes and monoamine oxidase in females. Alanyl-β-aminopeptidase activity was elevated in females, which also had a slight increase in 2-naphthyl octanoate esterase. Sucrase, glutamic-oxalacetic and glutamicpyruvic transaminases, were unaffected by feeding irradiated foods. The above effects deserve further investigation. In contrast to results on young rats, adult animals given the irradiated food failed to evidence any effects upon intestinal mucosal levels of hexokinase, sucrase, alkaline phosphatase, and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase.