Chapter 12: Methods Combined with Irradiation for Food Preservation

Food preservation by ionizing radiation involves subjecting packaged or in-bulk foods to a controlled dose of γ-ray, e-beam, or X-ray irradiation. This non-thermal treatment can be performed alone or in combination with other mild but effective preservation factors (hurdles) in order to achieve an enhanced level of food safety and stability. The hurdle concept (generally known as combined methods) provides a framework for combining more than one hurdle, which the microorganisms need to overcome to survive in the food environment. These treatments may reduce the required irradiation dose and enhance the radiosensitization of food spoilage microorganisms through synergistic (or at least additive) effects. Thus, treated foodstuffs are safer and more stable during their shelf life, while their quality attributes are better preserved. This chapter describes double- and multiple-hurdle approaches involving the use of irradiation in combination with microbicidal, microbiostatic, preventive/protective, or multifunctional hurdles, emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses of these combinations.