Food irradiation: a safe and useful technology.

Prevention of disease is a core public health mission. Food-borne illness is a major source of preventable morbidity and mortality. Each year, an estimated 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5200 deaths due to food-borne illness occur in the United States. Research findings show that irradiating food can both greatly reduce illness from food-borne pathogens and extend food shelf life by delaying ripening, inhibiting spoilage, and minimizing contamination. However, because the food industry has historically been reluctant to sell irradiated foods, food irradiation remains an underutilized technology.