ABSTRACT
Food processing by ionizing irradiation has been shown to be safe, effective and efficient for the purposes of food preservation, reduction of post-harvest storage losses, prolongation of shelf-life, pest disinfestation, inactivation of food-borne parasites, and destruction of microbial pathogens. The biological effectiveness of the process results from energizing of orbital electrons in the food target material. The energy transfer results in formation of free radicals which interact with essential macromolecules. Energy reserves in facultative anaerobes are stored preferentially as shellfish glycogens Lipids, require aerobic oxidation to reconstitute a suitable carbohydrate substrate to enter into the normal glycolytic pathway. Preservation of organoleptic qualities in radiation processed shellfish may also be related to their facultative anaerobic status. Irradiation presents distinct advantages for enhancing microbial quality in live shellfish when applied as an adjunct to existing sanitation programs. Potential abuse or mis-application of the process would result if, shellfish which did not meet established sanitary standards were allowed to be irradiation processed.
