Energy and Food Irradiation
ARMY NATICK RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LABS MA FOOD ENGINEERING LAB
This paper shows that significant energy savings can be obtained by use of irradiation preservation. The energy used in food systems in the US amounts to about 16.5 of the total energy. An analysis of the energy used in the many steps of the food irradiation process found that irradiation pasteurization uses only 21 kJkg, radappertization 157 kJkg, which is much less than the energy used in the other food processes. A comparison has also been made with other methods of preserving, distributing, and preparing the meat for servings. It is found that food irradiation can save significant amounts of energy. In the case of heat sterilized and radiation sterilized meats, the largest fraction of energy used is in the packaging, while in the frozen meats, the largest energy consumption is by refrigeration in the distribution channels and in the homes.