Enhancing Food Safety Through Irradiation
by: Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Contributors
en | The International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation (ICGFI)
R20090622D
Enhancing Food Safety Through Irradiation
Joint FAO / IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniquesin Food and Agriculture Contributors
The International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation (ICGFI)
Published: 1999
Pages: 33
Food safety is one of the leading health issues concerning consumers, the food industry, academia, and government officials worldwide. Bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 are the primary cause of food poisoning in industrialized countries, with an estimated 9000 deaths per year in the USA alone. In developing countries, parasitic diseases constitute a major problem, and together with bacterial and viral foodborne illness, account for hundreds of millions of cases per year. The true incidence of diseases transmitted via foods is very difficult to determine, mainly due to the lack of adequate reporting mechanisms. In addition, many patients do not seek medical attention during the illness, resulting in underestimation of the problem. To illustrate this point, from 1990 to 1992, there were ten times fewer outbreaks of foodborne illness reported in Italy than in France, in spite of similar population sizes.
Foodborne diseases are caused by various microorganisms: parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Parasites such as the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, are endemic in many rural areas of Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Another parasite, Trichinella spiralis, is involved in outbreaks due to consumption of game meats in Europe, and of pork in the former Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China. Renewed interest in foodborne parasites has emerged in the USA, due to recent outbreaks caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis from contaminated imported fruits and vegetables originating in Latin America
Contents:
Front Cover,2
Table of Contents,4
Foreword,5
Executive Summary,6
Introduction,8
Worldwide Incidence of Foodborne Illness,9
Cost of Foodborne Illness,12
Prevention of Foodborne Illness by Irradiation,13
Red meat and poultry,13
Seafood,14
Fruits and vegetables,14
Dairy products,14
Egg products,15
Spices,15
Specific Benefits of Food Irradiation,16
Cost of Food Irradiation,17
Irradiation is Not a Panacea,18
Conclusions and Recommendations,18
References,19
Tables,23
Table I. Outbreaks of foodborne illness during first half of 1995,23
Table II. Outbreaks of foodborne illness in various European countries,23
Table III. Table III. Major factors contributing to outbreaks of foodborne illness in various European countries (1990-1992),24
Table IV. Factors contributing to outbreaks of foodborne illnessin the USA (1988-1992),24
Table V. Cost summary for selected bacterial pathogens in the USA, 1993,25
Table VI. D-value of various microorganisms in fresh meat and seafood,25
Table VII. Cost of irradiation as affected by various processing parameters,25
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