This volume is comprised of 21 papers originally presented at the Food Irradiation and Packaging for Irradiated Food symposium, held August 18-22, 2002 in Boston, MA. It presents extensive coverage of irradiated foods and food products contaminated with food borne pathogens, and the effects on irradiation and packaging materials, including additives. It also covers the effects ionizing radiation has on improved functional components in fresh fruit and vegetables.

From the Preface: “...Food safety research has been driven by the current worldwide outbreak in microbiological food contamination. The...WHO considers this microbiological contamination of food to be a serious epidemic that significantly impacts on the health of the world population. The symposium was formed to present new research on the irradiation of food and food packaging as a means to reduce and/or eliminate microbiological contamination...”

Target Audience: Academic and industrial food scientists and technologists, package product developers, and upper level students in these fields.

Table of Contents:

Irradiation of Food and Packaging: An Overview

Irradiation of Food:

Food Irradiation and Marketing in Thailand

Electron Beam Fluidized Bed Processing of Foodstuffs

Mechanisms and Prevention of Off-Odor Production and Color Changes in Irradiated Meat

Irradiation of Ready-to-Eat Meats: Eliminating Listeria monocytogenes While Maintaining Product Quality

Improving Safety and Extending Shelf Life of Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables Using Irradiation

Ionizing Radiaton of Seeds and Sprouts: A Review: Irradiated Seeds and Sprouts

Irradiation Applications to Improve Functional Components of Fruits and Vegetables

Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation of Fruit Juices: Benefits and Concerns

Ionizing Radiation of Seafood

Application of Electron Beam to Surimi Seafood

Irradiation of Packaging:

Irradiation of Prepackaged Foods: Evolution of the Food and Drug Administration's Regulation of the Packaging Material

Fate of Energy Absorbed by Polymers During Irradiation Treatment

Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Food Contact Materials

Effect of Ionizing Radiation on the Migration Behavior and Sensory Properties of Plastic Packaging Materials

Effects of Gamma Irradiaton on Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polystyrene

Postirradiation Transformation of Additives in Irradiated HDPE Food Packaging Materials: Case Study of Irgafos 168

Effect of Electron Beam and Gamma Radiation on the Migration of Plasticizers from Flexible Food Packaging Materials into Foods and Food Simulants

Physical Evaluation of High-Dose Irradiated Multilayer Pouches

Irradiation of Mail: Effects on Archival Museum Materials

Future of Irradiation:

Outlook for Food Irradiation in the 21st Century

Index