Electromagnetic Radiations in Food Science

This is a manageable compilation of the key knowledge of applications of radiations in food processing, sufficiently introductory to a neophyte and simultaneously adequate to serve as a rather short directional guide for the specialist. The electromagnetic spectrum is introduced to the readerin the Prologue. The further presentation is organized in five parts: Ionizing Radiation - Ultraviolet-Visible Radiation - Infrared Radiation - Microwave Radiation - Selected Topics in Food Irradiation. The book covers sources, equipment and units of measurement, fundamentals of molecular mechanisms and chemistry involved in radiations-induced reactions, specific applications in food industry and food analysis, as well as nutritional and safety values of treated foods.

This book has been written for those whose interests bridge food processing and physicochemical aspects of radiation. It is not intended to be a comprehensive review of publications concerning foods and radiations. Instead, it is an attempt to familiarize the reader with pertinent knowledge of a unified, interdisciplinary concept of various electromagnetic radiations and corresponding effects on foods. Consideration was given to similarities and differ- ences between various segments of the electromagnetic spectrum. The broad approach of this book was considered to be crucial for cross-discipline comparisons. The reader is introduced to the electromagnetic spectrum in the Prologue and then the book follows the wavelengths, from short to long values. Chapter 1 deals with ionizing radiation: historical background, sources of radiation employed in food treatment, units of measurement, and fundamentals of radiation chemistry. A survey of potential applications of ionizing radiation in food technology is followed by a description of methods for radiation dosimetry. Safety and wholesomeness of irradiated foods, analytical methods for postirradiation dosimetry in foods, and consumer acceptance of food irradiation conclude this section. Chapter 2 intrudes into the next segment of the spectrum: ultra- violet-visible radiation. The general presentation of this electro- magnetic emission and illumination source enables the discussion of its effects on foods, including applications in food analysis.