Food Irradiation Market; Food Irradiation Is Safe and Effective, as well as Protects against Food Spoilage

Food irradiation is a process of exposing food to ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, electron beams, and gamma rays, to disinfect, sterilize, and preserve food and food packaging. Like canning fruits and veggies and pasteurizing milk, irradiation can make food safer for the consumer. Moreover, irradiation helps reduce food spoilage by bacteria, insects, and parasites. Consumer attitudes towards irradiated foods are more negative than those processed in other ways. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed that irradiated foods are safe.

Increasing demand for food irradiation, as well as increasing consumer acceptance for food irradiation, is a major driving factor for the growth of the market. FDA has approved irradiation of fresh fruits and vegetables as a phytosanitary treatment. Food irradiation is safe and effective, and protects against spoilage of fruits and vegetables. However, lack of awareness among consumers about food irradiation is expected to hamper the market growth. Irradiated foods are in high demand from hospitals, especially for chemotherapy and AIDS patients. 

These foods help increase immunity by providing physical strength.The increasing prevalence of foodborne illness and increasing incidences of food poisoning have created the need to implement appropriate food testing approaches and legislations, which are expected to provide traction to the food irradiation market. According to WHO, one in every ten people in the world falls ill after eating contaminated food. Food poisoning affects millions of Americans each year. The Federal government estimates that there are around 48 million cases of foodborne illness yearly. Each year, these illnesses result in an estimated 3,000 deaths and 128,000 hospitalizations. Food irradiation controls food spoilage and eliminates foodborne pathogens, thus, the demand for this technology is increasing in the market.

The benefits of food irradiation such as an extension of shelf life, disinfestation, decontamination, and reduction of pathogenic microorganisms is another factor driving the market growth. The market has seen steady growth during the global pandemic. In terms of geography, the food irradiation market is divided into six regions, such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. North America is expected to witness substantial growth in the market due to increasing demand and consumer acceptance for food irradiation. In the United States, FDA has approved irradiation for the following foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, crustaceans, beef and pork, poultry, wheat flour, shellfish, shell eggs, seeds for sprouting, as well as spices and seasonings.