Section IV: Food Safety and Public Health

Title: The public health advocate: Food irradiation|s offer to food security

Author(s): Ihab Tewfik, Sundus Tewfik

Address: Department of Human and Health Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Westminster, 115, New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, UK | Department of Health and Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London N7 8DB, UK

Reference: Science,Technology and Sustainability in the Middle East and North Africa pp. 197 - 209

Abstract/Summary: The community of food safety professionals has been trying to draw the attention of consumers in poor communities to the importance of food irradiation as a robust measure to reduce the devastating consequences of postharvest food losses. One of the principal concerns in the acceptance of irradiated foods by governments and consumers has been the lack of simple and rapid identification methods for use in the control and surveillance of such foods. It is hoped that the establishment of new analytical methods will go some way in defending this long standing criticism. During the last decade, there was advancement in the identification of irradiation in food, which has encouraged various parties to implement this process. Coupled with technology transfer, food irradiation will improve productivity in developing countries. Although, food insecurity is a major public health challenge, fortunately food irradiation preserves food security that can enable sustainable development in Middle East.

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