Food radiation (Essay Sample)

Food Irradiation
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Introduction statement of the problem
Food irradiation refers to the case where foodstuffs are treated using radiation energy generated from ionizing particles with an aim of removing harmful microorganisms that can be present in them and also to increase the shelf life of these food products. This technique of food treatment involves exposing bulk or packed foodstuffs to ionizing radiation energy obtained from Cobalt-60 gamma, electron beam or X-rays accelerators and the amount of radiation energy varies in different foods as regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (Mollins 2001). In most cases, the food industries which practice irradiation technique have stationary facilities although mobile electron beam irradiation equipments are also being considered to increase efficiency and effectiveness of irradiation technology. In management system of industries providing irradiation service, several factors are supposed to be put in to consideration in order to ensure that the safety of personnel facilitating the irradiation process as well that of the environment are maintained.
The process by which irradiation technique is undertaken raises some issue of concern such as, how are the generated radioactive wastes managed? Examples of radioactive wastes include materials and metals that become radioactive as a result of being to radiations for a long period of time. The other area of concern in management system of food industry practicing irradiation technique of food treatment is how the safety of the personnel providing the service is guaranteed since the technology involves use of harmful radiations that poses threats to the life of the personnel facilitating this service. Maintaining safety of the environment, personnel and managing the radioactive wastes raises the cost incurred by the management and therefore it becomes a challenge. These issues of concern make some raise questions on how possible it is to manage food service industries with irradiation facility. This paper looks up into discussion of these issues of concern in management system of food service industries with the irradiation facility.
Literature Review
Food industries with irradiation facilities must meet the requirements of the United States Nuclear Commission Licensing which states that the facility design must possess multiple measures for safety; it must have well established and documented safety procedures and also must have qualified trained personnel (Farkas and Mohacsi 2011). The food service industry with irradiation facilities using X-ray and electron beam are controlled by the United States Food and Drug Administration, and by state agencies that control medical and industrial equipments.
Transportation safety of the radioactive materials is controlled by the United States Department of Transportation. Scientists who support food irradiation technology argue that there is no possibility of environment being at risk of being polluted by radioactive emissions since the materials used when the technique is performed are completely concealed and taken back to the manufacturer in order be recycled or disposed (Sommers and Fan 2006). The Department of Energy (DOE) in 1990 organized and carried out an environmental assessment to determine the possible environmental impact of irradiation food facility as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the DOE results were that the radiation energy used in food irradiation did not have the potential of bringing about adverse affects on the environment. The safety of environment while using food irradiation facilities is regulated by Nuclear Regulatory Commission which ensures that the food irradiation facility possess required safety and regulatory measures in record (Satin 1996).
On the other hand, some scientists are against the management of food irradiation facilities and their concern is that there are chances that terrible accidents can occur in these food irradiation facilities and this could be a great threat to human and the environment because the radiations used are harmful. It is stated that accidents such as fire at the facility or natural disaster can result to the spreading of radioactive material into the nearby communities and environment. Leakage of the radioactive material when it is being transported to the food irradiation facility can also be a source of accident but records indicate that transportation safety measures are well observed and there are no such cases which are reported.
Food industries with irradiation facility ensure that the generated radioactive wastes are handled and managed with safety. The metallic cobalt pellets, which are radioactive wastes of food irradiation facilities using Cobalt-60, are packed in hardened steel transportation canisters which have undergone thorough evaluation to certain their safety in case an accident occurs in the process of transporting them back to the manufacturer for disposal or to be recycled (Farkas and Mohacsi 2011).
Food irradiation facilities using Cesium-137 as the sources of the ionizing radiation energy manage less radioactive wastes since this nuclear material have a long half life which makes it possible for it to be used for a long period of time without changing it. Incase Cesium-137 nuclear material is changed the old cesium sources are also carried in hardened steel canisters to prevent leakage. Currently cesium-137 sources are processed in form of insoluble ceramic rather than the previous form of Cesium chloride which was soluble in water thereby posing a risk of polluting water. Food irradiation facilities using electron beam and X-ray does have a problem of managing radioactive wastes since these sources of radiation energy does not release radioactive substances and all radiations are withdrawn when they are switched off (Satin 1996). Satin states that there have been only a few number of accidents resulting to contamination that have occurred over the past 25 years and these accidents are said to have occurred as a result not adhering to safety rules and procedures.
Personnel facilitating the food irradiation technique are protected from harmful radioactive emissions by being provided with protective gears, detection systems and safety procedures which they adhere to. A system that does not permit entry of unauthorized personnel has been established and is well put in place. The safety of the workers is also maintained by ensuring that they strictly adhere to the working procedures and also by equipping them with the required knowledge. It is also stated that majority of the countries ensures that regular inspection of the food irradiation facility is done to certain that they comply to the rules and regulations to be followed when applying this technology in food treatment (Enviromental Protection Agency 2013).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has the duty of controlling worker safety and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or the responsible state agency must license food irradiation plants that use cobalt or cesium, as their radiation source whereas the food irradiation facilities in the United States that use machine-generated radiation are regulated by the FDA, which stipulates required working standards to ensure that the worker are safe.
Analysis of the problem and its impact on foodservice system
A lot of evidence in the literature indicates that the various challenges that the management system of food industries with food irradiation facilities could be facing have for been well catered for by setting up of various regulations that provides eased and proper management of the irradiation facilities. The findings from the research I have conducted makes me strongly support that the management of food industries with food irradiation facility and also agree with the idea that the more food industries should employ this technology since organizations such as Food and Drug Administration and Nuclear Regulatory Commission provides guideline which makes the management of irradiation facilities not be of great challenge. Even though there are some arguments that there are possibilities that accidents can occur in the food irradiation facilities, such cases have not be reported and this is an indication that these facilities are efficiently and effectively managed and thus several of these facilities should be put in place to offer the service of treating food to make it safe and also to increase shelf life of foodstuffs.
The key areas that were concern include how the radioactive wastes generat...