Preservation of food by irradiation

The phrase "irradiation of food" refers to the treatment of food with one of several types of radiation processes. This report focuses on only one type of food irradiation -- the process of using ionizing radiation to preserve food. The paper includes a discussion of the technical aspects of irradiation, the potential uses of irradiation for food preservation, and the issues of food safety, wholesomeness and labeling of irradiated foods.