Radiation Processing for Safe, Shelf-Stable and Ready-To-Eat Food
IAEA-TECDOC-1337 Radiation processing for safe, shelf-stable and ready-to-eat food Proceedings of a final Research Co-ordination Meeting held in Montreal, Canada, 10–14 july 2000 January 2003 The originating Section of this publication in the IAEA was: Food and Environmental Protection Section International Atomic Energy Agency Wagramer Strasse 5 P.O. Box 100 A-1400 Vienna, Austria RADIATION PROCESSING FOR SAFE, SHELF-STABLE AND READY-TO-EAT FOOD IAEA, VIENNA, 2003 IAEA-TECDOC-1337 ISBN 92–0–100703–5 ISSN 1011–4289 © IAEA, 2003 Printed by the IAEA in Austria January 2003 FOREWORD The increasingly busy lifestyles of populations in many countries have driven the demand for safe, convenient and ready-to-eat food. Traditional food processes such as drying, canning or refrigeration offer a partial solution to this demand as the sensory quality of such food may be significantly affected or the products may be contaminated by pathogenic bacteria during preparation. For developing countries, safe shelf-stable food without the need for refrigeration would offer advantages. In addition, the increasing number of immuno-compromised populations in many countries requires a new approach to food safety to meet their needs. Irradiation offers a potential to enhance microbiological safety and quality of food through shelf-life extension. The benefits of irradiation as a sanitary treatment of many types of food are well known, some of which are applied commercially in several countries. Little data were available, however, on the effect of irradiation on minimally processed food and composite food including prepared meals. A Co-ordinated Research Project (CRP) on the Development of Safe, Shelf-Stable and Ready-to-Eat Food through Radiation Processing therefore was implemented by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture in 1996 to evaluate the role of irradiation for such food.
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