1. Context

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the dangers associated with food, sometimes rightly so, sometimes wrongly. It's a fact that millions of people around the world suffer from food poisoning of all kinds every year. As a result, industry and health authorities are constantly looking for new techniques to improve the hygienic quality of food.

• Ionizing food is a "new" process designed to sanitize and/or extend the shelf life of foodstuffs. The effects of ionizing radiation have been known practically since their discovery, around...