Food Irradiation & Radioisotope Batteries

This lecture covers the industrial applications of food irradiation and radioisotope batteries. Food irradiation involves exposing food to ionizing radiation to increase storage life, reduce post-harvest losses, and inactivate pathogens. The process uses high-energy radiation like gamma rays or X-rays. Advantages include nonthermal processing, insect disinfestation, and microbial decontamination. Radioisotope batteries use energy from radioactive decay to generate electricity, commonly used in satellites and meteorological stations. Different radionuclides like Pu-238 and Am-241 are utilized, with various conversion methods such as thermoelectric and direct conversion. Legislation requires labeling of irradiated food products, and international regulations are overseen by organizations like FAO, IAEA, and WHO.