I'd appreciate it if you could help me
Potatoes were harvested in Hokkaido. The potatoes are delivered by air to various parts of Japan. However, if the potatoes sprout on the way to the destination, it is a big problem. The sprouts may contain toxins that are toxic to humans, making the potatoes unsaleable. What should we do? So....We irradiate them with radiation.
Some potatoes are irradiated with gamma rays, a type of radiation that prevents them from sprouting. By destroying the tissue of the sprouts, cell division is prevented. Gamma ray irradiation is also used to sterilize food. This is to prevent food poisoning caused by salmonella and other bacteria. Sterilization using chemicals may leave chemical residues on the food or alter the food. On the other hand, with the amount of gamma-ray energy used in sterilization, such things do not happen. In this respect, it is safer than chemical sterilization.
Heat sterilization may be the safest, but it often results in loss of food flavor. In foreign countries, many spices are sterilized with γ-rays, which can be used to sterilize spices and herbs without damaging their color or flavor. Irradiation of spices and herbs is also approved and practiced in the EU.※1 Japan is the only developed country in the world where irradiation sterilization of spices is not approved. The reason is that Japanese people are not comfortable with the word "radiation," so currently in Japan, domestic irradiation of γ-rays to food is only used for potatoes.
It is also used to sterilize ground beef, chicken, and frozen shrimp. Sterilization by radiation can be done reliably inside and without heating, so even frozen food can be processed. ※1 Another familiar example is the sterilization of disposable needles used in hospitals, which are sterilized by gamma rays. As mentioned earlier, irradiation does not cause food to become radioactive or to change its quality.
However, after irradiation, the food is carefully inspected. Although radiation can cause damage to the human body if the exposure dose is too high, it is a matter of use.
