CHEM 181 Chapter : woc 24- preserving with radiation.docx

• School: McGill University
• Department: Chemistry
• Course: CHEM 181
• Professor: David Harpp

Document Summary

David corbin, chairman of the sadex corporation, ate spinach inoculated with o157:h7 e. coli that had been electronically pasteurized (irradiation with a beam of electrons): this technology can prevent food poisoning in ready to eat foods. Radiation is the propagation of energy through space: examples: light coming from a light bulb, heat coming from a radiator, basking in the sun, getting an x-ray, receive cobalt-60 treatment for cancer. Cobalt-60 treatment: radiation is in the form of gamma rays generated by the spontaneous decomposition of atoms of. Ie: single chest x-ray not so bad, continual cat scans can disrupt normal cellular activity. When it comes to irradiating foods, this is the effect that we want. As early as 1905, patents were issued for devices that used x-rays to kill bacteria in food. Others claimed that it destroyed nutrients in food, gave rise to novel toxins and provided an easy way for producers to cover up sanitation problems.