A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
Givaudan
Europe remains cautious over the issue of irradiating food as the US makes moves to integrate this technology further into the food, and foodservice, industry. The US Agriculture Department announced recently that it plans to allow irradiated meat to be served to millions of children in US schools by the end of the year.
Shares in food irradiation company Surebeam, which provides systems that kill food-borne bacteria, leapt on Monday in reaction to the news. Surebeam uses electron technology to irradiate food and, according to a Surebeam spokesman, the company's products are sold in close to 4,000 supermarkets around the country.
Irradiation, which has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation but is only allowed for use on herbs and spices in Europe, exposes food to low doses of electrons or gamma rays to destroy deadly micro-organisms such as E. coli O157:H7 and salmonella.
Under a recent US farm subsidy law passed in May, the USDA must allow government-approved food safety technology, such as irradiation, to be used in commodities donated to the federal school lunch programme. Some 27 million schoolchildren receive free or low-cost meals daily in the programme.
On both sides of the Atlantic, consumers remain wary about food irradiation technology. There are many hurdles to leap before the consumer accepts this form of food safety. But recent food crises, in Europe and elsewhere, will undoubtedly boost the case for this controversial technology.