Food Irradiation Research Articles

Effects of ionizing radiation on organic volatile compounds from PEA protein isolate

Food irradiation is a preservation technique and in respect with regulations, is applied to a limited number of products. Nevertheless, this technique could be interesting for products sensitive to heat treatment, and to limit alteration caused to their organoleptic characteristics. This study concerns the potential of ionization for vegetable proteins, to limit the damage on the sensory properties that can be caused by thermal treatments. The impact of β-ionizing was measured on the volatile compounds of five pea protein isolates. These isolates were subjected to ionizing radiation of 10 MeV electron beam and the volatile compounds were compared by SPME-GC-MS before and after the treatment. β-Ionization led to a major increase in the total amount of volatiles and to appearance of new compounds. We observed a strong increase in aldehydes, that were reported to be involved in pea off-flavor, and the appearance of dimethyl-disulfide, linked to sulfurous off-notes. Many of the compounds impacted by the treatment were linked to protein and lipid oxidations. Mechanisms explaining the impact of β-ionizing on lipids and protein oxidations were proposed.

Focus Groups Exploring U.S. Adults’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Irradiation as a Food Safety Intervention, 2021

Food irradiation has been studied comprehensively and has been determined to be a safe and effective process for improving food safety. Despite this potential public health impact and current use in developed countries, the technology is not commonly used in the United States, with consumer acceptance often cited as a barrier. Given changes in consumer food-purchasing trends, advancements in irradiation technology, and an increase in multistate foodborne outbreaks, it is an opportune time to revisit consumer acceptance and factors that influence the purchase of irradiated food. We conducted seven focus groups to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding irradiation as a food safety intervention. Meetings were virtual, lasted 90 min, and were held March 15–18, 2021. Participants were stratified into three groups using quota sampling: adults aged 18–64 years, parents of children aged 0–4 years, and adults aged 65 years and older. Consistent with past research, consumers were unaware of what food irradiation is. Facilitators for purchasing irradiated foods included protection from foodborne illness, reduced risk from certain foods, and support from public health agencies. Barriers included lack of knowledge, safety concerns, price, packaging, and a distrust of food technology. The results from these focus groups can inform public messaging and foodborne illness prevention strategies.

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

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.

Irradiated and radioactively contaminated foods: Analysis of EU RASFF notifications from 1997 to 2022

Food irradiation technique is an authorized tool used on a commercial scale in many countries to preserve different types of foodstuffs from deterioration caused by microorganisms, insects, and metabolic activity to prolong their shelf life without leaving any residual effect on processed foods, unlike preservatives and pesticides. This study was carried out to analyse the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications on food radiation from 1997 to 2022 in order to identify the most frequently reported products, their origin countries and associated reasons for notification, as well as the most notifying countries, product categories, notification classification, risk decisions, and actions taken. A total of 488 notifications were recorded during this time period. China was the most frequently notified origin country, accounting for 19.88% of all notifications, followed by the United States (11.68%), Russia (7.99%), Vietnam (7.17%), and Poland (5.53%). The top notified product categories were “dietetic foods, food supplements, and fortified foods” (37.09%), followed by fruits and vegetables (23.16%), herbs and spices (8.81%), and prepared dishes and snacks (5.53%). The top 5 notified products were food supplements (25.00%), mushrooms (20.70%), noodles (7.58%), tea (4.51%), and spices (3.69%). The four main reasons for food radiation notifications were unauthorized irradiation (57.58%), too high levels of radioactivity (22.34%), unlabeled irradiation (19.47%), and unauthorized facilities (14.96%). Too many notifications included more than one reason for the notification. Out of 109 notifications related to too-high levels of radioactivity (up to 10755 Bq/kg), 101 were due to the presence of 137Cs, 134Cs, 60Co, and 48Cd in mushrooms, mainly originating from Poland (25), Bulgaria (24), Ukraine (15), and Belarus (12). Such studies provide the necessary data to ensure food safety and encourage countries to implement comprehensive procedures to protect consumers health.

Food Irradiation - An Effective Technology for Food Safety and Security

This review will look at the irradiation-based food preservation method. A country’s ability to successfully adopt new technologies hinges on the availability of a suitable infrastructure. Irradiation has a low operating cost and utilizes minimal energy, but it requires significant capital investments and a minimum output volume to be economical. Over a specific threshold concentration, off tastes might develop and organoleptic changes can occur. At low quantities, however, not all pathogens and their poisons will be eliminated. Radiation therapy can be difficult to standardize because the results vary. How effectively the therapy works depends on several factors, including the commodity and cultivar, radiation dose, level of maturity, physiological status, temperature and environment before and after treatment, pre-and post-harvest treatments, and the sensitivity of the microorganisms to be controlled. Tolerance varies with the maturity level. Depending on public perception, regulatory actions, economics, and logistics associated with specific conditions, irradiation as a method of reducing foodborne diseases will be used. Not all foods can be irradiated in all situations due to technological and financial restrictions. Irradiation cannot indefinitely extend the shelf life of fresh food because the enzymes in foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, shellfish, meat, and poultry are still active and resistant to even high-dose radiation. If foods are exposed to too much radiation, they may lose flavor, especially if they are high in fat. Irradiated grains and legumes must be packaged carefully to prevent insect infestations because irradiation does not leave behind any harmful residue that would deter insects. Irradiation produces very little chemical changes in food, and the changes are similar to those by other preservation methods like heat. The application of irradiation technology will benefit farmers whose post-harvest grain lost value as a result of food spoilage, consumers who experience health problems as a result of virus exposure, exporters of such cereals, and ultimately the government, which gains economically from the hard cash generated. It will also benefit firms that package food, extension agents, technical assistants, and researchers. Radiation processing of food has been approved by various international statutory bodies and organizations to ensure ‘Food Security & Safety’, and overcome ‘Technical barrier to International Trade’ and currently is being practiced in more than 60 countries worldwide.

환경사회지배구조(ESG) 맥락에서 친환경식품 개념 정립

With climate change-related crises, people started to be aware of the importance of global cooperation and collaboration instead of global competition. In particular, in a situation where climate change-induced food system issues are threatening human survival, a need to have a new approach as to what environmentally sustainable food (ESF) is arises. Unfortunately promoting green food in the traditional paradigm without its proper concept, has often led to a form of green washing. Therefore, with the content analysis, this paper was to re-conceptualizes it in the ESG context. The newly defined concept is ‘sustainable food in the food systems integrating production, farming, processing and global supply chains, which restricts or does not use pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics and antimicrobial; is not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or synthetic food additives; and does not use or reduces using high fructose corn syrup. In addition, ESF is mainly based on locally grown seasonal fruits, vegetables and insects rather than meat and contributing to socially responsible and ethical management ’ This paper suggests that effective ESG strategies should be further established to enhance consumers’ affective utility associated with the newly defined ESF.

Evaluating Factors Explaining U.S. Consumers' Behavioral Intentions toward Irradiated Ground Beef.

Although food irradiation is deemed safe and endorsed by health-related organizations worldwide, consumers are reluctant to accept the technology. Yet, consumer acceptance is critical as food irradiation has significant potential for increasing the safety and availability of food globally. To communicate about food irradiation, science communicators should understand the psychology behind consumers' decision making related to irradiated foods. Using empirical research, we developed a theoretical model and used structural equation modeling to determine how nine variables affect consumers' behavioral intentions toward irradiated ground beef. We purchased a national quota sample from Qualtrics and surveyed N = 1102 U.S. consumers. The model explained 60.3% of the variance in consumers' attitudes toward food irradiation and 55.4% of their behavioral intentions toward irradiated ground beef. Attitude had the largest positive, total effect on consumers' behavioral intentions, which was followed by subjective social norm and perceived benefit. Perceived risk had the largest negative, total effect on behavioral intentions. Attitude mediated the effect of subjective social norm, perceived benefit, perceived risk, objective knowledge, and food technology neophobia. Environmental concern and health consciousness did not significantly affect behavioral intention. Science communicators should develop messaging strategies that seek to improve consumer acceptance with these factors in mind.

Dose measurement using a leuco crystal violet film system with high sensitivity for food irradiation applications

Radiation dosimetry is of paramount importance to achieve the desired objectives in radiation processing of food. The low dose range of 0.1–1 kGy is very important for selected food irradiation applications. Inexpensive and easy to handle routine dosimeters that operate in this range are thus highly desirable. To this end, a leuco crystal violet dye based radiochromic film was developed incorporating 2,2,2-trichloroethanol as sensitizer. This system exhibits a linear dynamic response in the 0.1–1 kGy dose range. The sensitivity of the films to spectroscopic readout was found to be ∼146 kGy−1 mm−1 which is higher than that of any previously reported leuco crystal violet film dosimeter. The limit of detection, limit of quantification, and prediction error were determined to be 0.050 kGy, 0.077 kGy, and ±0.47%, respectively. The response of the film was also assessed using two image analysis methods – the conventional single channel approach and a novel double channel approach. A prediction error of less than ±1.0% was obtained for the latter. The results demonstrate for the first time that the dose response of leuco crystal violet based systems can be studied by inexpensive desktop scanner based colour analysis.

Hemoglobin Derivatives in Beef Irradiated with Accelerated Electrons.

The efficiency of food irradiation depends on the accuracy of the irradiation dose range that is sufficient for inhibiting microbiological growth without causing an irreversible change to the physical and chemical properties of foods. This study suggests that the concentration of hemoglobin derivatives can be used as a criterion for establishing the limit for chilled beef irradiation at which irradiation-induced oxidation becomes irreversible. The express spectrophotometry method for estimating the hemoglobin derivative concentration shows a nonlinear increase in methemoglobin concentration from 15% to 50% in beef irradiated by accelerated electrons with the doses ranging from 250 Gy to 10,000 Gy. The monitoring of the hemoglobin derivative concentration for three days after irradiation shows nonmonotonous dependencies of methemoglobin concentration in beef in the storage time since the oxidation of hemoglobin occur as a result of irradiation and biochemical processes in beef during storage. The proposed method based on the quantitative analysis of the hemoglobin derivative concentration can be used to estimate the oxidation level for irradiation of foods containing red blood cells. The study proposes a model that describes the change in hemoglobin derivative concentration in beef after irradiation considering that oxidation of hemoglobin can be triggered by the direct ionization caused by accelerated electrons, biochemical processes as a result of bacterial activity, and reactive oxygen species appearing during irradiation and storage. This research throws light on the mechanisms behind food irradiation during storage that should be taken into account for selecting the optimal parameters of irradiation.

ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to assess the spectral markers of irradiated baijius and their potential application in irradiation dose control

Although some methods have been proposed for the identification of irradiated baijius, they are often costly, time-consuming, and destructive. It is also unclear what instrumentation can be used to fully characterize the quality changes in irradiated baijius. To address this issue, this study pioneers the use of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics to open up new avenues for characterizing irradiated baijius and their quality control. Principal component analysis, five spectral pre-processing methods (Savitzky-Golay smoothing (S-G), second-order derivative (SD), multiple scattering correction (MSC), S-G + SD and S-G + MSC), five wavelength selection methods (random forest variable importance (RFVI), two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS), variable importance in projection (VIP), ReliefF, and Venn), and three classification models (partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), random forest (RF), and grasshopper optimization algorithm-based support vector machine (GOA-SVM)) were integrated into the analytical framework of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, aiming to accurately identify baijiu samples according to different irradiation doses and to search for irradiation-induced spectral difference characteristics (spectral markers). The results showed that SD was the best spectral pre-processing method, and RF models constructed using the 20 most competitive and discriminative spectral markers (selected by Venn) could achieve accurate identification of baijiu samples based on irradiation dose (0, 4, 6, and 8 kGy). After Pearson correlation analysis, the five significantly (P＜0.05) changed spectral markers (1596, 2025, 2309, 2329, and 2380 cm−1) were attributed to changes in the content of total acids, alcohols, and aromatic compounds. These findings demonstrate for the first time the potential of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy as a fast, low-cost, and non-destructive tool for the characterization and identification of irradiated baijiu samples. This approach may also offer a promising solution for labeling management of irradiated foods, vintage identification of baijius, and brand protection.

The effect of radiation on grape seeds: ESR and microbiological analysis

In this work, pulverized grape seeds were irradiated with varying doses of 60Co gamma radiation, and the effect of radiation for each dosage value was determined using Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and microbiological analysis. Through dose-response and kinetic investigations, the dose dependence and stability of the radiation induced cellulose-like radicals were determined, respectively. The effect of irradiation on aerobic bacteria was demonstrated for the first time by microbiological analysis and the inactivating dose value was identified. The obtained findings are beneficial for irradiated food detection investigations.

Eco-friendly postharvest irradiation strategy with 131I isotope for environmental management of populations of migratory locust, Locusta migratoria

Purpose Irradiation of food is promising for control of pests to minimize postharvest losses of yields and thus improvement of food safety, shelf life of produce. It is a method of choice that induces a series of lethal biochemical and molecular changes culminating into the engagement of a downstream cascade to cause abnormalities in irradiated pests. In this study, the effects of iodine-131 (131I) isotope radiation on the male gonad development of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, were evaluated. Materials and methods Newly emerged adult male locusts, less than one-day-old, were divided into two groups, control and irradiated. Locusts in the control group (n = 20 insects) didn’t drink irradiated water and were reared under normal environmental conditions for one week. Locusts in the irradiated group (n = 20 insects) were exposed to irradiated water at a dose of 30 mCi and they were subsequently observed until they drank the whole quantity. Results At the end of the experiment, scanning and electron microscopic examination of testes obtained from irradiated locusts revealed several major abnormalities, including malformed nuclei of spermatozoa, irregular plasma membranes, shrinkage of testicular follicles, vacuolated cytoplasm, disintegrated nebenkern and agglutinations of spermatids. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that 131I radiation induced both early and late apoptosis, but not necrosis, in testicular tissues. Testes of irradiated insects also exhibited a burst in reactive oxygen species (ROS), as indicated by significant elevation in amounts of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker for peroxidation of lipids. In contrast, irradiation coincided with significant reductions in activities of enzymatic antioxidant biomarkers. Relative to controls, a three-fold upregulation of expression of mRNA of heat shock protein, Hsp90, was observed in testicular tissue of irradiated locusts. 131I-irradiated insects exhibited genotoxicity, as indicated by significant increases in various indicators of DNA damage by the comet assay, including tail length (7.80 ± 0.80 µm; p < .01), olive tail moment (40.37 ± 8.08; p < .01) and tail DNA intensity % (5.1 ± 0.51; p < .01), in testicular cells compared to the controls. Conclusion This is the first report on elucidation of I131-irradiation-mediated histopathological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms in gonads of male L. migratoria. Herein, the findings underscore the utility of 131I radiation as an eco-friendly postharvest strategy for management of insect pests and in particular for control of populations of L. migratoria.

Deep Learning Networks for Non-Destructive Detection of Food Irradiation

Deep Learning Networks for Non-Destructive Detection of Food Irradiation

Nuclear Technology in Horticulture: Boosting Productivity, Controlling Pests, Conserving Water

Horticulture faces significant challenges due to the destruction of crops by pests and diseases, both before and after harvesting, resulting in a significant reduction in crop production. Nuclear technology has emerged as a valuable tool for enhancing agricultural productivity. Despite the common association of nuclear technology with energy and weaponry, its use in Horticulture is diverse and multifaceted. Physical mutagens such as nuclear radiation, including gamma rays, X-rays, and UV light, as well as particle radiation, can be employed to induce chromosomal breakages, cross-linking of DNA strands, nucleotide deletion, and substitution. UV rays can be used to irradiate cell suspensions and pollen grains in the early or late uninucleate phases. Through the application of nuclear technology, agricultural productivity can be improved by increasing crop yields, controlling pests and diseases, and enhancing water quality. Food preservation can also be achieved through food irradiation, where ionizing radiation is applied to target pathogens to break their DNA bonds. Nuclear technology can also be utilized to induce beneficial mutations in crops through genetic modification, sterilization-based pest control, and water usage management. In conclusion, nuclear technology presents an innovative and effective solution for addressing challenges in Horticulture, thus contributing significantly to global food security.

Research on irradiated food status and consumer acceptance: A Chinese perspective.

China is currently the world's largest producer of food irradiation. Despite the long-standing (about 100 years) evidence supporting the safety of food irradiation, consumers' acceptance of irradiated foods remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the development of food irradiation in China and identify the barriers that keep consumers away from irradiated foods. This was accomplished by exploring the relevant policies of food irradiation, the size and distribution of irradiation facilities in China, and analyzing their relationships between consumer characteristics and the acceptance of irradiated food. To achieve these objectives, we conducted an online survey of participants from Hubei, China (N = 264). The results reveal that irradiation facilities are mainly distributed in large coastal cities such as the Bohai Bay, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Greater Bay Area. Furthermore, the study identified that consumer' acceptance of irradiated food is directly related to their level of understanding. Approximately 22% of the sampled consumers reported that they would not accept that they have consumed irradiated food and most of them (41%) stated that they would not purchase irradiated food if they were aware of buying irradiated food. Specifically, consumers expressed discomfort with consuming irradiated food under unknown circumstances. This trend is more prevalent among female, low-educated, and older consumers, with 40% of the sampled population indicating that they would not buy irradiated food. Given the strong correlation between knowledge and acceptance of irradiated foods, the study suggests that policy reform should prioritize enhancing the understanding of irradiated food, particularly among female, low-educated, and older consumers.

A multiscale Monte Carlo simulation of irradiating a typical-size apple by low-energy X-rays and electron beams

Irradiation of foods and fruits by ionizing radiation effectively eliminates pathogenic microorganisms primarily present on the surface. Recently, much attention has been paid to the use of low-energy X-rays and electron beams for food irradiation. Dosimetric investigation of foods with complex shapes is experimentally challenging. In this study, a multiscale Monte Carlo simulation was performed to compare the dose distributions of low-energy X-rays and electrons in a typical-size apple as well as to calculate the DNA damages induced by secondary electrons in a bacterial cell model. Several energies up to 500 keV and tube voltages up to 200 kV were considered for incident electrons and X-rays, respectively. The results indicate that on a microscopic scale, the yields of single- and double-stranded DNA breaks induced by X-rays and electrons of different energies are nearly identical. In a macroscopic scale, a two-sided electron beam configuration plus a 90-degree rotation of the apple (or the beam) provides an appropriate dose uniformity on the apple surface up to a depth of 40 μm. In the case of low-energy X-rays, apple rotation is not required when a two-sided irradiation is applied. Generally, X-rays are superior to electrons for the surface treatment of apples due to their lower dose uniformity ratios on the surface.

A radichromic dye of tris-(4-aminophenyl)methane incorporated into polymeric films for radiation dose monitoring

With the goal of developing new dyed film dosimeters for radiation technology applications, radiochromic films based on tris(4-aminophenyl)methane, a radiation-sensitive dye, have been studied for dose monitoring in the dose range of 0.5–25 kGy. A chlorine-containing material, hexachloroethane, was incorporated into these films to improve their radiation sensitivity. In addition, a UV-absorber of tinuvin-P were employed to protect these films from the influence of light during storage and measurements. Subjecting these films to γ-irradiation induces a significant magenta color characterized by an absorption band at 553 nm. The intensity of this band increases linearly as the absorbed dose increases up to 25 kGy and 10 kGy for compositions without and with HCE, respectively. The radiation sensitivity of the films incorporating 5.0 phr HCE is ∼2.4 times greater than that of films without HCE. The irradiated dyed films remain stable at 6 °C over two months in the dark. The responses of films are relatively independent of relative humidity in the 53–75% range and temperature in the 8–34 °C range. However, the films’ response is temperature dependent above 34 °C, thus it is advisable to calibrate these films under actual used conditions. The estimated absorbed doses using these films have an uncertainty (2σ) of 6.63%. In conclusion, the prepared dyed films may be good candidates for use as chemical dosimeters or indicators for applications involving radiation processing, such as food irradiation and medical sterilization.

Regulation and Supervision of Food Irradiation

Food irradiation consists of a physical process that subjects food to doses of ionizing radiation, which are high enough energy to eliminate or neutralize harmful microbial contaminants without changing the taste or texture of food and without leaving residues. With this irradiation process we can prevent diseases transmitted by food, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli, prolong the shelf life of foods, control pests that harm fruits by delaying germination and ripening, and finally sterilization, which allows their storage for years without refrigeration. The use of ionizing radiation for food preservation has been studied for several decades and is regulated in the USA by the Food and Drug Administration –FDA. In 1997, the World Health Organization - WHO released the use of the technique for all types of food. In Brazil, the first studies on food irradiation were carried out by the Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture - Cena, in the 50's. Currently, Brazilian legislation follows the international recommendations suggested by the Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO, the International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA and Codex Alimentarius. The scope of this work is a survey, analysis and evolution of national and international legislation related to ionizing irradiation practices in food. For the preparation of this research, bibliographical reviews were carried out, consultations in Brazilian and international legislation, Internet sites, and in the documentation of the Gamma Irradiation Laboratory of the Nuclear Technology Development Center - CDTN

Preliminary Study of Seaweed-Base Irradiated Food

Research has been carried out on seaweed-based irradiated functional food ingredients (carrageenan and alginate). This research aimed to determine and analyze the effect of irradiation on the Physico-chemical and microbiological quality of seaweed-based food ingredients. Sample preparation was carried out by preparing carrageenan and alginate flour, then packaged and irradiated with gamma rays at doses of 3, 5, and 7 kGy (0 kGy as control). Samples were stored at room temperature immediately after irradiation and then tested for Physico-chemical properties (moisture content, pH, water activity (aw), protein content, ash content, and viscosity) and microbiological properties (total aerobic microbes, total coliform, total molds and yeast). The results showed that the radiation dose of 3-7 kGy was effectively improved the hygienic quality of seaweed-based functional food (carrageenan and alginate) and optimum at a dose of 5-7 kGy, without changing the water content, pH, and aw. Meanwhile, the viscosity of the material increases with increasing radiation dose.

Meat Irradiation: A Comprehensive Review of Its Impact on Food Quality and Safety.

Food irradiation is a proven method commonly used for enhancing the safety and quality of meat. This technology effectively reduces the growth of microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It also increases the lifespan and quality of products by delaying spoilage and reducing the growth of microorganisms. Irradiation does not affect the sensory characteristics of meats, including color, taste, and texture, as long as the appropriate dose is used. However, its influence on the chemical and nutritional aspects of meat is complex as it can alter amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins as well as generate free radicals that cause lipid oxidation. Various factors, including irradiation dose, meat type, and storage conditions, influence the impact of these changes. Irradiation can also affect the physical properties of meat, such as tenderness, texture, and water-holding capacity, which is dose-dependent. While low irradiation doses potentially improve tenderness and texture, high doses negatively affect these properties by causing protein denaturation. This research also explores the regulatory and public perception aspects of food irradiation. Although irradiation is authorized and controlled in many countries, its application is controversial and raises concerns among consumers. Food irradiation is reliable for improving meat quality and safety but its implication on the chemical, physical, and nutritional properties of products must be considered when determining the appropriate dosage and usage. Therefore, more research is needed to better comprehend the long-term implications of irradiation on meat and address consumer concerns.