Food irradiation is useful because it kills bacteria in food that can make you sick, extending the shelf life of such foods as a result.

In the process, it does not make the food radioactive or in any way harmful for consumption, nor does it compromise on its nutritional value or notably change taste, texture or appearance in any way!

Just like the milk-pasteurising process, the irradiation process is intended to make food safer for consumption.

Indeed, it is thought that millions of bacterial infections could be prevented if all food was irradiated, saving hundreds of lives every year.

Indeed, irradiation of food can serve a number of purposes.

Apart from the prevention of foodborne illnesses such as Salmonella, it can also serve as a food preservative and also as a delaying agent against sprouting (for example in potatoes) or ripening (in fruits).

In a clinical setting, higher levels of irradiation – not normally approved for general use – can also be important in the context of food sterilisation for severely immunocompromised patients.