In the mission era the primary products were wheat, corn and other products grown in the mission fields, fruit (primarily in the south) and products made from cattle and sheep. The most lucrative product was a dried cattle hide, called Yankee Dollars.
In addition, irradiation is widely used to sterilize a variety of medical and household products, such as joint implants, band-aids, baby pacifiers, cosmetic ingredients, wine and bottle corks, and food packaging materials.o. Irradiation is equivalent to pasteurization for solid foods, but it is not the same as sterilization. Food irradiation can be an important tool in the war against illness and death from foodborne diseases. But it is not a substitute for comprehensive food safety programs throughout the food distribution system.
In industry, radioactive tracer substances can be put into pipes and machinery, then we can detect where the substances go. This is basically the same use as in medicine. Gamma rays kill microbes, and are used to sterilise food so that it will keep fresh for longer. This is known as irradiated food.