Science of Irradiation of meat辐照肉品科学.ppt

What is Food Irradiation Food irradiation is a process in which food products are exposed to a controlled amount of radiant energy to increase the safety of the food and to extend shelf life of the food Like pasteurization of milk and pressure cooking of canned foods, treating food with ionizing radiation can kill bacteria and parasites that would otherwise cause foodborne disease. Irradiation….also known as: Ionizing radiation Surface pasteurization Electronic pasteurization E-beam sterilization/pasteurization Ionizing radiation When radiation strikes other material, it transfers energy. This can cause heating, as with microwave cooking, or if there is enough energy, it can knock electrons out of the material bombarded, breaking the molecular structure-thus leaving ions (free radicals) hence the name ionizing radiation. Electromagnetic Spectrum Sources of Ionizing irradiation Gamma sources of irradiation X-ray machines Electron accelerators Gamma (?) rays energy comes from decay of radioactive isotopes Cobalt-60 (half life of 5.3 years) Produced by neutron bombardment Cesium-137 (half life of 30 years) By-product of spent nuclear fuel Gamma (?) rays Isotope is contained and stored in pool of water and raised when produce is to be exposed to ?-rays facility is concrete chamber with 6-12’ thick walls completely penetrates product and packaging (pallets) Electron-beam electricity is power source-switch on and off uses stream of high-energy electrons accelerated at near the speed of light electrons are showered on the product facilities are shielded with concrete or steel walls penetrates approximately 2-3” of product and packaging ideal for thin ground beef patties How ionizing radiation works Electrons disrupt the DNA chain either destroying or preventing reproduction of the organism Factors affecting irradiation effectiveness against microorganisms in foods Growth phase of microorganism Type of food (lean vs fat) Moisture content (water level)