The issues of concern for consumers, activists and government are discussed in an effort to understand the benefits of food irradiation as a food safety measure. Food irradiation uses controlled amounts of ionizing radiation to destroy bacteria, pathogens and pests in food and agricultural products, greatly reducing the threat of foodborne disease. Ionizing radiation can damage the nucleic acids and ultimately kill microbes by direct or indirect "hits". It is concluded that food irradiation is a safe and effective process that can be used to improve the safety of food supply.
