Irradiation as a New Way of disinfecting Fruits and Vegetables
Washing fresh fruits and vegetables before eating is helpful to reduce the risk of food poisoning. But according to a new study by researchers in Pennsylvania, washing alone - even with chlorine disinfectants - may not be enough to kill parasites and destroy pathogens and insects in food.
Studies show that certain disease-causing microbes are out of reach for chemical sanitizers. These bacteria can get hidden inside the leaves of vegetables and fruit, where surface treatments cannot reach. In addition, microbes can organize themselves into tightly knit communities (biofilms) that coat fruits and vegetables and protect the bacteria from harm. Such biofilms can harbor various versions of infectious bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli.
Now, new findings suggest that internalized pathogens which are beyond the reach of conventional chemical sanitizers can be effectively killed by irradiation, a food treatment currently being reviewed by the FDA.
Scientists claim that irradiation, exposing food to a source of electron beams, disrupts the genetic material of living cells, inactivating parasites and destroying pathogens and insects in food, including E. coli and Salmonella.