High-dose irradiation : wholesomeness of food irradiated with doses above 10 kGy, report of a Joint FAO/IAEA/WHO Study Group

This report presents the conclusions and recommendations of a group of experts convened to assess the safety and nutritional adequacy of food irradiated to doses above 10 kGy.

The report responds to the need for average doses higher than 10 kGy to ensure that food items, particularly meat and poultry, are rendered consistently free of pathogens.

Other technological objectives of high-dose irradiation include the decomtamination of low-moisture products, such as spices, herbs and dried vegetables, the preparation of sterilized meals or meal components for hospitalized patients, and the production of shelf-stable hygienic products that reduce the need for refrigeration and frozen storage and can thus facilitate safe food distribution under tropical and subtropical conditions.