CONTROL OF FOOD IRRADIATION - A CHALLENGE TO AUTHORITIES

The public demands clear labelling of irradiated food, and it is the obligation of food control authorities to enforce labelling and verify declarations. Post factum identification of irradiated foods is a valuable tool for these authorities. However, it is not clear what the label 'irradiated' tells us about the correct or legal dose, nor is it always easy to perceive the practical implications of the regulations. Although methods to verify whether or not a particular food has been irradiated are accumulating, identification alone does not prove adherence to legal dose limits. For technical reasons, radiation processing always results in a dose range within the product, while it is important that the minimum effective dose is applied and that any upper dose limit is respected. Only reliable inspection of records available at the irradiation facility can reveal this range and the statistical dose distribution and, thus, render labelling meaningful.