X-rayed Food? Is That Good?

EVERYDAY we are exposed to levels of radiation – when walking in the sun, when flying on holiday, and even when eating mussels. These frequent and mundane, activities cause us no harm, yet concerns about x-ray technology are quite common. Mostly, these anxieties are based on the many myths that prevail about radiation and its effects. To debunk these unfounded rumours, it is important to look at the facts.

Discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen, electromagnetic radiation, also known as x-ray, is an invisible, odourless energy that allows for visibility through clothes and skin. Due to the appearingly supernatural function of x-ray techonlogy, consumers and manufacturers alike are sometimes weary of its use for food inspection.

Consumers question whether x-rayed food tastes differently and if it's safe to eat, whilst food producers wonder if consumers will switch to competing x-ray-free brands and if their staff will object to x-ray technology at the workplace. These unfounded concerns are mostly the result of a lack of information. Numerous studies have shown that the public's perception of the harmful effects of radiation is many times greater than the actual risks.

An important point of confusion is the lack of awareness of the difference between x-ray radiation and radioactivity, and the fact that low-level radiation is a common part of everyday life. We are continually exposed to many different types of radiation, from visible light and ultraviolet sunrays to infrared light from a heat lamp, microwaves and radio waves. Other sources of radiation that pervade our daily routines include smoke detectors, building materials and mining and agricultural products. In this article, we aim to highlight the truth about radiation and eradicate common misconceptions about x-ray inspection of food.

Radiation vs. radioactivity – a big difference

The terms radiation and radioactivity are often used interchangeably yet the distinction between the two is important. Radioactivity generally refers to a substance that spontaneously produces radiation. Due to their incontrolability as well as strength, radioactive elemtents can, over time, produce harmful effects on humans and the environment as crises such as the Chernobyl incident and the more recent nuclear reactor meltdown in Fukushima, Japan have shown.

An x-ray machine working with radiation, by contrast, does not spontaneously emit radiation and is therefore not radioactive. Powered using electricity, x-ray machines can be turned on and off at will like light bulbs. Once the electricity supply to the x-ray system is switched off, the x-ray flow ceases instantaneously. And even when turned on, the radiation emitted from x-ray machines is controlled and limited to prevent any risk of harm.

X-ray inspected food – safe to eat

Using x-ray machines for the inspection of food has become more and more popular due to increasingly stringent food safety and quality standards and the technology's successful eradication of contaminants. Faster line speeds and rising consumer demands for product quality make extremely reliable methods of product inspection necessary. X-ray systems enable the detection of ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless-steel metals as well as other foreign bodies such as glass, stone, bone, high-density plastics, and rubber – all elements we prefer not to have in our food.

Scientific evidence has shown that x-rays do not harm our food in any way. The World Health Organisation (WHO) even confirmed that food radiation levels up to 10,000 Sv (Sievert) do not affect food safety or nutritional value. This means that food could be subject to radiation doses around ten million times stronger than those used in x-ray inspection without any harmful effects.